Hypothermia and gastric lesions in rats exposed to immobilization stress.

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Male Wistar rats were exposed to immobilization stress and changes in rectal temperature and incidence of gastric lesions were examined. Rectal temperature in immobilized rats significantly decreased within 2 hours of immobilization and the significant decrease continued up to 24 hours of immobilization. Hypothermia induced by stress rapidly recovered to control levels when the rats were released from 18-hours of immobilization. Based on macroscopical occurrence of gastric lesions after exposure to immobilization stress for 12 hours, rats were divided into two groups, i. e., affected or non-affected rats by gastric lesions. When examined retrospectively, the former showed significantly lower rectal temperatures than the latter. Pretreatment with a synthesis inhibitor of serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT), p-chlorophenylalanine (PCPA) at 250 mg/kg completely abolished the stress-induced hypothermia. This suggests that stressinduced hypothermia may be mediated by the brain's 5-HT system.

This publication has 0 references indexed in Scilit: