Chronic Emotional Stress Research Articles

Chronic stress and calcium oxalate stone disease: is it a potential recurrence risk factor?

Chronic emotional stress is associated with increased cortisol release and metabolism disorders. However, few studies have evaluated the influence of chronic stress on calcium oxalate (CaOx) stone disease and its recurrence. A total of 128 patients were enrolled in this case-control study over a period of 20 months. All patients were CaOx stone formers with a recent stone episode (<3 months); 31 were first-time stone formers (FS) and 33 recurrent stone formers (RS). Dimensions of chronic stress were evaluated with self-reported validated questionnaires measuring stressful life events, perceived stress, anxiety, depression, burnout and satisfaction with life. An ad hoc self-reporting questionnaire was designed to evaluate stress-related specifically to stone episodes. Blood and urine samples were collected to determine cortisol levels and urinary composition. In addition, epidemiological data, socioeconomic information, diet and incidences of metabolic syndrome (MS) were reported. Overall, no significant differences were observed in the scores of cases and controls on any of the questionnaires dealing with stress. The number (p < 0.001) and the intensity (p < 0.001) of perceived stressful life events were higher in RS than in FS, but there were no differences between the two groups in other dimensions of stress. RS had higher glucose (p = 0.08), uric acid (p = 0.02), blood cortisol (p = 0.01), and urine calcium levels (p = 0.01) than FS. RS also had lower economic levels (p = 0.02) and more frequent incidences of MS (p = 0.07) than FS. Although no differences were observed in cases and controls among any dimension of chronic stress, the number and intensity of stressful life events were higher in RS than in FS. These differences correlate with variations in blood and urinary levels and with metabolic disorders, indicating an association between chronic stress and risk of recurrent CaOx stone formation.

Impact of Chronic Emotional Stress on Myocardial Function in Postmenopausal Women and Its Relationship with Endothelial Dysfunction

Background and ObjectivesAn association between chronic stress and cardiovascular diseases has been described, but the underlying mechanisms have not been fully elucidated. We investigate the impact of perceived stress on the left ventricular (LV) and endothelial functions in postmenopausal women.Subjects and MethodsWe investigated 64 consecutive postmenopausal women (mean age 56.7±9.7 years) with atypical chest pain and chronic stress. Patients with coronary heart disease were excluded. Global and segmental longitudinal deformation parameters of LV were used as parameters to assess myocardial function and brachial flow-mediated dilatation (FMD) was used to assess the endothelial function, and patients were analyzed by the Symptom Checklist 90 Revised (SCL-90-R) to determine emotional stress. The study participants were divided into two groups, based on global severity index (GSI): ≥50 (group A, n=27) or <50 (group B, n=37).ResultsAlthough there were no significant differences in LV geometry or myocardial performance indices between the groups, global LV strain was significantly reduced in group A compared to group B (-16.6±2.7% vs. -19.1±1.9%, p=0.001). There were also significant differences in the value of reactive FMD (6.6±2.2% vs. 9.5±2.9%, p<0.001), and same result was observed for nitroglycerine-induced dilatation (14.6±4.7% vs. 18.0±5.8%, p=0.016). Multivariate linear regression analysis showed that GSI was the only significant attributor to global LV strain (β=0.149, p=0.008) and reactive FMD (β=-0.200, p=0.041).ConclusionChronic emotional stress may exert negative effects on the LV and endothelial functions, which may be associated with the severity of stress. This study provides a possible mechanism by which stress is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular dysfunction.

Relaxation technique training to alleviate emotional stress in patients with chronic pain: A report of two cases

Aim: Chronic pain can leads to uncomfortable sensory and emotional experiences and remarkably decrease one’s quality of life. The purpose of this report is to describe our experience of treatment with relaxation techniques for two outpatients with chronic pain-related emotional stress. Methods: We offer outpatient relaxation treatment as a specialized out-patient nursing service. Two patients were motivated to self-manage their pain, and thus sought outpatient instruction in relaxation techniques to provide methods of pain self-management. We examined the usefulness of relaxation techniques as pain self-management methods based on subjective information and the Mental Health Pattern questionnaire. Results: Two patients were able to incorporate the relaxation techniques into their daily schedules and control their symptoms. Ultimately, their attitudes toward their pain changed, which lessened their stress levels and improved their quality of life. Conclusions: Our results suggest that nursing care using continuous relaxation techniques improves pain self-management in patients with chronic pain.

Effect of Chronic Emotional and Pain Stress on Histone H3 Phosphorylation in the Hippocampus of Rat Strains with Different Excitability of the Nervous System

Long-term effects of chronic emotional and pain stress on histone H3 phosphorylation by serine 10 in hippocampal CA3 neurons were examined 24 h, 2 weeks, and 2 months after termination of the stress procedure in 2 rat strains differing by excitability of the nervous system. The low excitable rats with high threshold (HT) of excitability were characterized by a high baseline level of histone H3 phosphorylation in comparison with the high excitable rats with low threshold (LT) of excitability. The long-term emotional and pain stress significantly changed the number of positive immune cells in highly excitable rats: this parameter increased in 24 h and 2 weeks after the stress, but returned to the control level in 2 months. In contrast, stress did not affect histone H3 phosphorylation in low excitable rats. Thus, long-term (up to 2 weeks) changes in histone H3 phosphorylation were reveled in rat hippocampal CA3 neurons, which depended on genetically determined functional status of the nervous system.

The impact of psychogenic stressors on oxidative stress markers and patterns of CYP2E1 expression in mice liver

The increasing number of psychogenic stressors is a side effect of civilization. It results in the development of psychoemotional stresses and psychosomatic diseases.In this study we evaluated the effect of the chronic psychoemotional stress on the level of CYP2E1 expression in the liver of C57Bl/6 mice. Stress was induced by the immobilization of animals for 4h per day during 7 or 14 days. CYP2E1 expression level was evaluated on the 7th and 14th days of the experiment, respectively. We detected a twofold reduction in CYP2E1 protein expression level relatively to controls for both time points tested. This reduction was no longer significant when the effect of the stressor factor was terminated on the 14th day of the experiment and animals were analyzed one week later. Remarkably Cyp2e1 mRNA expression level was constant at any time point of the experiment.We also documented significant changes in the expression/activity of two oxidative stress markers examined in the liver of treated mice. The catalase activity decreased fivefold while malondialdehyde transiently increased threefold. These data suggest that oxidative stress can be involved in the reduction of hepatic CYP2E1 and catalase activity under the conditions of chronic emotional stress.

Arterial Stiffness in Female Patients With Fibromyalgia and Its Relationship to Chronic Emotional and Physical Stress

Background and ObjectivesIn patients with fibromyalgia (FM) syndrome, stress and pain may chronically enhance sympathetic activity, altering cardiovascular responses and inducing the arterial wall-stiffening process. We investigated arterial stiffness in FM patients using pulse wave velocity (PWV) and analyzed whether arterial stiffness was affected by the clinical parameters of FM.Subjects and MethodsThis study included 108 female FM patients (51.5±8.9 years) without any known cardiovascular diseases and 76 healthy female controls (50.1±8.9 years). FM patients underwent a manual tender point survey for tender point counts, and completed the visual analogue scale (VAS) of pain and fibromyalgia impact questionnaire (FIQ), which were composed of a physical and feel score. Brachial-ankle pulse-wave velocity (baPWV) was measured with an automated device. The study participants were subdivided into 2 groups based on the sum of the FIQ score (group A: FIQ ≥50, group B: <50).ResultsPatients with FM had significantly higher baPWV than the controls, and significant increase were noted in baPWV values of group A compared with those of group B. BaPWV showed a significant positive correlation (correlation coefficient=6.83, p=0.022) with severity of disease assessed by FIQ.ConclusionThe patients with FM showed significantly increased arterial stiffness, suggesting a pathophysiologic link between FM and endothelial dysfunction. This study provides a basis for clarifying the mechanism by which chronic pain syndrome is associated with an increased risk of vascular stiffness.

Medical rehabilitation of persons in a chronic emotional stress

The research problem wasstudying of influence of a complex physicaland balneal therapies on endokrinno-metabolic processes and immune system of an organismof participants of confrontations with different forms of chronic diseases for the purpose of working out of adequate schemes of regenerativetreatment. 173 police officers, at the age from 22 till 45 years old which were taking part in military operations in the Chechen republicare surveyed. At receiptin a hospital for patients diagnosed following forms of chronic diseases: a chronic prostatitis, chronic холецистити neurologicdisplays of an osteochondrosis. Schemes of stageby-stage rehabilitation have been developed for correction of the revealed infringementswith appointment of base complexes at the first stage of regenerative treatment. On the basis of studying of dynamics of indicators of the endokrinno-metabolic status and a condition of immune system of an organism of participants of confrontations with various forms of chronic diseases the substantiation of the new approach to correction of the poststressful frustration, consisting in stage-by-stage rehabilitation with appointment at the first stage корригирующего a base complex is presented. The carried outcomparative analysis of efficiency of medical actionsspecifies in expediency of application двухэтапного a rehabilitation course (taking into accountconcrete nosological form) for correction of poststressful frustration at participants of operations.

Obesity and Sleep: A Bidirectional Association?

Obesity and Sleep: A Bidirectional Association?

Depression, anxiety, and platelet reactivity in patients with coronary heart disease

There is considerable epidemiological evidence supporting the association between chronic emotional stress and coronary heart disease (CHD). Emotional factors that have been linked to atherosclerosis and adverse cardiac events include primarily negative affective disorders such as depression, anxiety, anger, and hostility.1,2 It is now well established that depression is related not only to the incidence of CHD but also to the prognosis of patients with established disease. In a meta-analysis concerned with the role of depression in the development of coronary artery disease, Rugulies found that individuals with clinical depression have >2.5 times the risk of a myocardial infarction or coronary death as the general population.3 In patients with established coronary disease, not only is major depression a significant predictor of mortality following acute myocardial infarction, but the level of depressive symptoms has a dose–response relationship with cardiac mortality over several years of follow-up.4 The importance of other affective disorders in the development and progression of CHD is less well established. Large-scale prospective studies have demonstrated a significant link between anxiety and sudden cardiac death,5 but studies documenting an association between anxiety and the development of coronary artery disease have been inconclusive. In patients with known CHD, Suls and Bunde found a relatively weak association between anxiety and hard cardiac events.6 More recent studies, however, have demonstrated that anxiety is an independent predictor of major cardiac events in patients with stable coronary disease.7,8 Hostility and anger are felt to represent the potentially harmful aspects of Type A behaviour, and their relationships to CHD have therefore received considerable attention. While some studies have reported that hostility is an important risk factor for CHD,6 numerous studies have found no association between hostility and cardiovascular disease after adjusting for confounding factors.9 … *Corresponding author. Tel: +1 410 614 6258, Fax: +1 410 955 3478, Email: iwittste{at}jhmi.edu

Assessment of Myocardial Function in Patients With Fibromyalgia and the Relationship to Chronic Emotional and Physical Stress

Background and ObjectivesAn association between emotional or physical stressful triggers and adverse cardiovascular events, such as death and myocardial infarction, has been recognized for many years. The clinical features of transient left apical ballooning syndrome have been clearly described, but the effect of chronic stress on the myocardium is unknown. Our objective was to assess left ventricular (LV) function in patients with fibromyalgia (FM) with chronic emotional and physical stress.Subjects and MethodsWe investigated 30 consecutive postmenopausal women (mean age, 48±8 years) satisfying the criteria for FM with atypical chest pain and 20 age-matched healthy controls by means of standard and 2-dimensional strain (2DS) echocardiography. Patients with hypertension, coronary heart disease, or diabetes were excluded. Global and segmental longitudinal deformation parameters of LV function from 3 apical views were analyzed, and patients underwent a manual tender point survey for the number of tender points and tender point counts, and completed the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ), which was comprised of physical and feel scores, the Brief Fatigue Inventory (BFI), and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI).ResultsBoth global and segmental longitudinal LV strains were significantly reduced in FM patients with high FIQ scores (>50) compared to FM patients with low FIQ scores (-18.98% vs. -22.72%). Various emotional and physical stress indexes were significantly correlated with global LV strain.ConclusionGlobal and segmental LV strains were negatively associated with fatigue, tender point count, and FIQ score. However, there was no significant association between depression and LV strain. This study demonstrated that chronic emotional or physical stress in FM patients might reduce myocardial longitudinal deformation.

Neuroendocrine mechanisms of hypertensive states developing during chronic emotional stress.

This paper discusses central neuroendocrine mechanisms involved in the development of hypertensive states during emotional stress with reference to the data published in the literature and obtained by the author. The experimental results are used to identify the structural and functional organization of the central nervous system that provides integration of nervous and hormonal factors in the pathogenesis of hypertensive states in response to emotional stress. The hypothesis about the trigger role of posterior hypothalamic nuclei which activate neuroendocrine mechanisms of the development of hypertensive states during emotional stress is documented. Mechanisms of MBRF's participation in the realization of emotional stress are clarified.

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: A State-of-the-Science Review

This article reviews the state-of-the-art research in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) from several perspectives: (1) Sex differences: PTSD is more frequent among women, who tend to have different types of precipitating traumas and higher rates of comorbid panic disorder and agoraphobia than do men. (2) Risk and resilience: The presence of Group C symptoms after exposure to a disaster or act of terrorism may predict the development of PTSD as well as comorbid diagnoses. (3) Impact of trauma in early life: Persistent increases in CRF concentration are associated with early life trauma and PTSD, and may be reversed with paroxetine treatment. (4) Imaging studies: Intriguing findings in treated and untreated depressed patients may serve as a paradigm of failed brain adaptation to chronic emotional stress and anxiety disorders. (5) Neural circuits and memory: Hippocampal volume appears to be selectively decreased and hippocampal function impaired among PTSD patients. (6) Cognitive behavioral approaches: Prolonged exposure therapy, a readily disseminated treatment modality, is effective in modifying the negative cognitions that are frequent among PTSD patients. In the future, it would be useful to assess the validity of the PTSD construct, elucidate genetic and experiential contributing factors (and their complex interrelationships), clarify the mechanisms of action for different treatments used in PTSD, discover ways to predict which treatments (or treatment combinations) will be successful for a given individual, develop an operational definition of remission in PTSD, and explore ways to disseminate effective evidence-based treatments for this condition. (Reprinted with permission from Journal of Psychiatric Research 2006; 40:1–21)

The impact of the hormonal milieu and stress-associated hypothalamic dopaminergic activation on the rapid compensatory adrenal growth in cycling female rats

We sought to investigate the impact of emotional and surgical stress applied in two hormonally different estrous-cycle phases as well as the hypothalamic dopaminergic involvement on the rapid compensatory adrenal growth (CAG) and the individual adrenal growth (IAG) in rats. After surgery for left and sham adrenalectomy (Adx) carried out on either diestrus-2 (DE-2) or proestrus (PE), CAG and IAG were evaluated in PE or estrus (E), respectively. Hypothalamic dopaminergic activity was also assessed by measuring dopamine (DA) and 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) levels in DE-2, PE and E in controls and in PE and E in sham and left adrenalectomized rats. All groups experienced similar chronic emotional stress assessed by the emotional reactivity score recorded during vaginal screening. In controls, DOPAC levels in DE-2 were higher than in PE and E. In PE, following surgery in DE-2, DOPAC levels and DOPAC/DA ratio were increased compared to PE controls; CAG was not significant, while negative correlations of IAG and CAG with DOPAC/DA ratio were observed. In E, CAG and IAG were significant, while dopaminergic activity was not increased compared to E controls. The significant CAG and IAG following left Adx in PE but not in DE-2 suggest a pronounced positive impact of the hormonal milieu on this process. The profound attenuation of CAG and IAG in PE suggests a negative effect of stress-associated dopaminergic activation.

Short Sleep and Obesity: Are Poor Sleep, Chronic Stress, and Unhealthy Behaviors the Link?

WE READ WITH GREAT INTEREST THE TWO COMMENTARIES BY DRS. YOUNG AND HORNE ON THE IMPORTANCE OF THE WELL ESTABLISHED ASSOCIATION between short sleep and obesity.1,2 Both papers are methodic with well-thought arguments on complex issues such as association vs. causality, the importance of effect size from an individual vs. public health perspective and applicability of short-term studies to long-term problems. In this exchange of ideas, there is an issue that was missed. Who among obese individuals report short sleep? What are their clinical profiles and characteristics? Is the self-reported short sleep duration a result of voluntary chronic sleep restriction? In February 2008, we published a study in a large population sample of 1,300 men and women addressing these questions.3 Consistent with most previous reports, obese individuals reported short sleep duration. In addition, they reported a higher incidence of subjective sleep disturbances (47.4% vs. 25.5%, P < 0.01) and scored higher for chronic emotional stress than nonobese subjects. Notably, self-reported sleep duration did not differ between obese and nonobese individuals without subjective sleep disturbances, while obese with sleep complaints scored higher in chronic emotional stress compared to obese without sleep complaints. The shortest sleep duration was reported by the obese insomniacs (5.9 h), followed by obese with EDS (6.3 h) or sleep difficulty (6.6 h). The effect of chronic emotional stress was stronger than that of the BMI on the reported sleep duration, with a synergistic joint effect. We concluded that short sleep duration is reported by obese individuals who complain of their sleep and are chronically stressed. Interestingly, in this study and two previous ones4,5 there was no association between objective sleep duration and BMI, suggesting that it is an individual's perception of sleep duration rather than actual sleep loss that correlates with obesity. Longitudinal data from the Alameda County Health and Living Study indicated that this perception is also influenced by social stressors such as socioeconomic and minority status.6 In a report by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) released in May 2008, Schoenborn and Adams provided a national perspective on the association between sleep duration and selected health risk behaviors using data from the 2004–2006 National Health Interview Survey.7 The findings suggested that U.S. adults who usually sleep less than six hours were more likely than adults who slept 7 to 8 hours to engage in certain health risk behaviors (i.e., cigarette smoking, consuming five or more alcoholic drinks per day, and not engaging in physical activity on leisure-time). This emerging literature suggests that obese individuals who report short sleep are psychosocially stressed and unhappy with the quality of their sleep, and engage in unhealthy behaviors. Although these studies, as with most previous ones, do not provide any causal direction, based on existing empirical and scientific evidence, it is reasonable to suggest that chronic stress may lead to the increased consumption of palatable (or “comfort”) food8 or that reduced physical activity may lead to excess weight. Furthermore, behaviors such as smoking and alcohol consumption are widely used practices to reduce stress and to improve—albeit unsuccessfully—sleep, whereas their discontinuation, e.g., of smoking, is associated with increased food intake and significant weight gain. Thus, from a practical standpoint it appears that the self-reported short sleep duration is a marker of subjective sleep disturbances and their associated chronic psychosocial stress and unhealthy wake time behaviors. Sleeping better, reducing or coping with chronic stress more effectively, and promoting healthier behaviors appear to be very important for a significant percentage (almost 50%) of obese individuals in the general population of the U.S. Simply recommending to poor sleepers to lengthen their sleep by 1 or 2 hours may be countertherapeutic.

Chronic emotional stress increases infarct size in rats: The role oxidative damage in response to sympathetic hyperactivity

Chronic emotional stress increases infarct size in rats: The role oxidative damage in response to sympathetic hyperactivity

Short sleep duration and obesity: the role of emotional stress and sleep disturbances

Many epidemiologic studies have reported that obesity is associated with short sleep duration. How the degree of obesity or other clinical characteristics of the obese individuals, such as sleep disturbances or emotional stress, define this relation is not known. We studied a random sample of 1300 middle-aged men and women from the Penn State Cohort in the sleep laboratory for one night. Sleep disturbances were recorded as insomnia, excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) or sleep difficulty. Chronic emotional stress was determined by the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2). Obese individuals (body mass index, BMI>30) reported shorter duration of sleep, had a higher incidence of subjective sleep disturbances (47.4 vs 25.5%; P<0.01) and scored higher for chronic emotional stress than nonobese subjects. However, there was no difference in self-reported sleep duration between obese and nonobese individuals without subjective sleep disturbances, while both obese men and women with sleep complaints scored higher in the MMPI-2 compared to obese individuals without sleep complaints. The shortest sleep duration was reported by the obese insomniac patients (5.9 h), followed by obese with EDS (6.3 h) or sleep difficulty (6.6 h). The effect of chronic emotional stress was stronger than that of the BMI on the reported sleep duration, with a synergistic joint effect. The presence of a sleep disturbance was associated with a reduction of reported sleep by 18 min for men and 42 min in women, whereas a 10 kg m(-2) increase of BMI was associated with a 16 and 6 min decrease of sleep in men and women, respectively. Interestingly, there was no association between objective sleep duration and BMI. Self-reported short sleep duration in obese individuals may be a surrogate marker of emotional stress and subjective sleep disturbances, whose detection and management should be the focus of our preventive and therapeutic strategies for obesity.

Reduced telomerase activity in human T lymphocytes exposed to cortisol

Accelerated telomere shortening in lymphocytes has been associated with a variety of human pathologies, including HIV disease, Down syndrome, and cardiovascular disease. Recent findings indicate that reduced telomere length is also associated with chronic psychological stress and mood disorders. Telomerase, which prevents telomere shortening, can be upregulated in T lymphocytes in concert with activation, thereby retarding telomere shortening. Here, we demonstrate that exposure of human T lymphocytes to cortisol is associated with a significant reduction in telomerase activity both during primary stimulation of resting cells and secondary stimulation of previously activated cells. The effect is observed in both CD4 and CD8 T lymphocytes, and is associated with reduced transcription of hTERT, the telomerase catalytic component. These findings provide a potential mechanism for stress-associated telomere length attrition, and suggest that strategies to enhance T lymphocyte telomerase activity may provide beneficial effects on immune function in situations of chronic emotional stress.

Chronic emotional stress exposure increases infarct size in rats: The role of oxidative and nitrosative damage in response to sympathetic hyperactivity

We investigated the level of sympathetic hyperactivity in response to stress exposure in an acute myocardial infarction (AMI) model and the contribution of oxidative and nitrosative damage to this phenomenon. Stress was induced by 20-day administration of different emotional stress factors: daylight/darkness exposure, overcrowding, isolation, new hierarchy, tilting the cage and restriction of water or food. AMI was induced surgically. Heart rate (HR) and heart rate variability (HRV) measurements were done before and after AMI. Oxidant parameters were measured in heart tissue and cortisol levels were measured in plasma specimens. Compared with the nonstressed group, stress-exposed rats showed sympathetic hyperactivity characterized by increased HR together with decreased HRV. In the stressed group serum corticosterone levels were high both before and after AMI. Mean infarct size in the stressed group was significantly larger (44.6+/-3.23% and 53.1+/-4.52%, respectively; P<0.05). Increased tissue malondialdehyde (MDA) levels (0.63+/-0.59 and 1.60+/-0.31 nmol/mg protein, respectively; P<0.05) and decreased superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and glutathione (GSH) content were seen in stress-exposed rats. Likewise, heart peroxynitrite levels were also high in stress-exposed rats (141.8+/-18 nmol/g tissue vs. 164.2+/-21 nmol/g tissue). Chronic emotional stress is a deteriorating factor for the induction and prognosis of MI. Exaggerated sympathetic activity may be the major contributing factor. Oxidative and nitrosative damage in response to this sympathetic hyperactivity is the key mechanism.

Effects of leisure time physical activity on psycho-emotional factors in Indian men and women

Burnout, a response to chronic emotional stress, could be influenced by parameters such as healthy lifestyle and physical activity, considered to be important factors in maintaining optimal health and wellness. The objective of this study was to determine the influence of leisure time physical activity participation on the levels of burnout, stress, happiness and quality of life among a sample of Indians in the Potchefstroom Indian community. Indian respondents in Potchefstroom were assessed by a self-report questionnaire for physical activity, burnout, stress, happiness and quality of life. The respondents comprised 101 South African Indian men (n=47) and women (n=54), randomly selected from a semi-urbanized Indian community. The level of burnout, happiness and quality of life were determined by using the Pines et al. Burnout-scale (1981) and the Affectometer 2 questionnaire of Kammann and Flett (1983). Stress symptoms were analyzed by using the 25-item stress symptoms questionnaire (Dickman, 1988). The type, intensity, frequency and duration of participation in physical activity were determined by the Physical Activity Index (PAI) as suggested by Sharkey (1997). One- way analysis of variance was computed for the purpose of this test. The Tukey HSD post-hoc test was used to determine which groups differed statistically from each other (p Keywords : physical activity, stress, happiness, burnout, South African Indians African Journal for Physical, Health Education, Recreation and Dance Vol. 12 (3) 2006: 277-286

Effects of blockage of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal cortex axis by metyrapone and Jiawei Xiaoyao Pills on immune system in mice exposed to chronic emotional stress

To explore the effects of Jiawei Xiaoyao Pills (JWXYP) on immune system of mice exposed to chronic emotional stress, and to compare its effects with blockage of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal cortex axis (HPAA) by metyrapone. Eighty male mice were randomly divided into eight groups: normal saline-treated group, normal saline-treated stress group, JWXYP-treated group, JWXYP-treated stress group, metyrapone-treated group, metyrapone-treated stress group, metyrapone and JWXYP-treated group and metyrapone and JWXYP-treated stress group. A box of electrical shock was used to induce chronic emotional stress in mice. The metyrapone was applied to blocking the HPAA. The JWXYP, a classical formula of traditional Chinese medicine, which can alleviate the damages caused by chronic emotional stress, was also used to compare its effects with that of metyrapone. The body weight, thymus index, rate of apoptosis in thymus, serum concentration of glucocorticoid, activity of natural killer cells, lymphocyte transmission rate of mice were all measured and examined after interventions. The pathological changes of thymus tissue were observed. The thymus index, activity of natural killer cells and lymphocyte transmission rate were lower while the rate of apoptosis in thymus as well as the severity degree of pathological damages in thymus tissue were increased in the different drug-treated stress groups as compared with those in the corresponding drug-treated groups without stress. The activity of natural killer cells and the lymphocyte transmission rate induced by lipopolysaccharide were increased while the serum concentration of glucocorticoid and the severity degree of pathological damages in thymus tissue were decreased in both the metyrapone-treated stress group and JWXYP-treated stress group as compared with those in the normal saline-treated stress group. The combined intervention of metyrapone and JWXYP did not show better effects on immune system in mice exposed to chronic emotional stress than single metyrapone or JWXYP intervention. Blockage of HPAA by metyrapone intervention shows a significant protective effect on immune system in mice exposed to chronic emotional stress, and the JWXYP also exerts a similar protective effect against damages induced by chronic emotional stress. The HPAA may be one of the action targets of protective effects of JWXYP.