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Effect of early life stress on the neurohormonal response to acute air jet stress in young adult rats
Author(s) -
Bobo Jeffrey A,
D'Angelo Gerard,
Pollock David M,
Pollock Jennifer S
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.21.5.a514-c
Subject(s) - medicine , epinephrine , endocrinology , norepinephrine , plasma levels , dopamine
We have previously shown that the pressor response to acute behavioral stress is enhanced in 9–10 week old, male, Wistar‐Kyoto rats that were subjected to maternal separation (SEP; 3hrs/day over d2–14 postnatal) compared to non‐separated (NSEP) animals. Thus, we tested the hypothesis that greater stress‐mediated increases in neurohumoral mediators contribute to the augmented pressor response in SEP animals. Stress was induced by restraint and air jet pulses (3 min); blood samples were obtained using indwelling venous catheters. Plasma endothelin‐1 was significantly greater in SEP vs. NSEP animals both at baseline (SEP: 1.3±0.1 pg/ml, NSEP: 1.0±0.1 pg/ml; p < 0.05) and during stress (SEP: 1.7±0.2 pg/ml, NSEP: 1.5±0.1 pg/ml, p < 0.05). Whereas baseline plasma epinephrine concentrations were comparable, the stress‐mediated level was greater in SEP rats (SEP: 1362±139 pg/ml, NSEP: 1063±53 pg/ml). Conversely, there were no differences in plasma levels of norepinephrine or 8‐isoprostanes in SEP vs. NSEP rats at baseline and during stress. These data suggest that there is a stress‐mediated sympathetic component, possibly modulated by the endothelin pathway that may be exaggerated due to early life stress. Early life stress activation of this sympathetic component may mediate the increased pressor differences seen in our previous studies.