Abstract
This report describes a new model of emotional stress, which was induced by randomly giving an empty water bottle to rats during watering periods per day for 14 consecutive days. The behavioral, endocrinological and immunological consequences were investigated. The data showed that the emotional stress activated both the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and the sympathetic nervous system, leading to the increased blood levels of corticosterone and catecholamine. It also elicited attacking and exploring behavior, suppressed the immune function of the rats, including leukocyte counts, weight of the spleen, and the level of specific anti-ovalbumin IgG antibody production. Presenting no water and no empty bottle to rats only evoked the exploring behavior, increased the corticosterone level and decreased the leukocyte counts. These findings demonstrate a role of psychological factors on behavioral, endocrinological and immunological functioning. The animal model described in the present study may serve as an analogue mimicking emotional stress experienced in humans (e.g. anger and/or anxiety), and may be useful for further studying the complex relationships among emotional stress, behavior, and immune function.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Brannon, L., Feist, J., Understanding stress and illness, in Health Psychology, 3rd ed. (eds. Brannon, L., Feist, J.), Company: Brooks/Cole Publication, 1997, 72–101.
Spiegel, D., Sephton, S. E., Psychoneuroimmune and endocrine pathways in cancer: Effects of stress and support, Semin. Clin. Neuropsychiatry, 2001, 6: 252–256.
Cohen, S., Williamson, G. M., Stress and infectious disease in humans, Psychol. Bull., 1991, 109: 5–24.
Weiner, H., Social and psychological factors in autoimmune disease, in Psychoneuroimmunology, 2nd ed. (eds. Ader, R., Fellen, D. C., Cohen, N.), New York: Academic, 1991, 955–1011.
Demetrikopoulos, M. K., Keller, S. E., Schleifer, J., Stress effects on immune function in rodents, in Psychoneuroimmunology (eds. Schedlowski, M., Tewes, U.), New York: Kluwer Academic/ Plenum Publishers, 1999, 259–275.
Tewes, U., Concept in psychology, in Psychoneuroimmunology (eds. Schedlowski, M., Tewes, U.), New York: Kluwer Academic/ Plenum Publishers, 1999, 93–111.
Yin, D., Tuthill, D., Mufson, R. A. et al., Chronic restraint stress promotes lymphocyte apoptosis by modulating CD95 expression, J. Exp. Med., 2000, 191: 1423–1428.
Wu, W., Yamaura, T., Murakami, K. et al., I. Social isolation stress enhanced liver metastasis of murine colon 26-L5 carcinoma cells by suppressing immune responses in mice, Life Sci., 2000, 66: 1827–1838.
Lysle, D. T., Cunnick, J. E., Fowler, H. et al., Pavlovian conditioning of shock-induced suppression of lymphocyte reactivity: Acquisition, Extinction, and preexposure effects, Life Sci., 1998, 42: 2185–194.
Sainio, E. L., Lehtola, T., Roininen, P., Radioimmunoassay of total and free corticosterone in rat plasma measurement of the effect of different doses of corticosterone, Steroids, 1998, 51: 609–622.
Gerlo, E., Malfait, R., High-performance liquid Chromatographie assay of free norepinephrine, epinephrine, dopamine, vanillylmandelic acid and homovanillic acid, J. Chromatogr., 1985, 343: 9–20.
Lin, W., King, M. G., Husband, A. J., Conditioned behavioral learning activates antibody response to ovalbumin: New evidence for the communication between CNS and immunity, in Proceedings of the Second Afro-Asian Psychological Congress, Beijing: Peking University Press, 1993, 788–793.
Shao, F., Lin, W., Wang, W., The effects of emotional stress on the primary humoral immunity of rats: Interaction with the sympathetic nervous system, Acta Psychologica Sinica, 2001, 32: 43–47.
Shao, F., Lin, W., Two kinds of conditions influence the humoral immunomodulation induced by emotional stress, Acta Psychologica Sinica, 2001, 33: 543–547.
Pang, W., Han, T., Jiang, M., Xie, W., Effects of stress on spatial learning and memory capacities of the offspring, Journal of Xi’an Medical University, 2002, 23(3): 318–320.
Pacak, K., Palkovits, M., Kopin, L. J. et al., Stress-induced norepinephrine release in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus and pituitary-adrenocortical and sympathoadrenal activity:in vivo microdialysis studies, Fron. Neuroendocrinol, 1995, 16: 89–150.
Mcewen, B. S., Biron, C. A., Branson, W. et al., The role of adrenocorticoids as modulators of immune function in health and disease: neural, endocrine and immune interacts, Brain Research Rev., 1997, 23: 79–133.
Mills, P. J., Diusdale, J. E., The promise of adrenergic receptors studies in psychophysiologic research II: Applications, limitations, and progress, Psychosom. Med., 1993, 55: 448–457.
Blanchard, R. J., Nikulina, J. N., Sakal, R. R. et al., Behavioral and endocrine changes following chronic predatory stress, Physiol. Behav., 1998, 63: 561–569.
Croiset, G., Heijnen, C. J., Veldhuis, H. D. et al., Modulation of the immune response by emotional stress, Life Sci., 1987, 40: 775–782.
Lazarus, R. S., From psychological stress to the emotions, a history of changing outlooks, Annu. Rev. Psychol., 1993, 44: 1–21.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
About this article
Cite this article
Lin, W., Wang, W. & Shao, F. New animal model of emotional stress: Behavioral, neuroendocrine and immunological consequences. Chin. Sci. Bull. 48, 1565–1568 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03183962
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03183962