Return to search

Effects of Physical and Emotional Stress, Catecholamines and Naloxone on HDL and LDL Cholesterol Levels in Rats and Man

A series of investigations were undertaken to determine whether physical or emotional stress, catecholamines or naloxone (B-endorphon blocker) would increase serum total cholesterol and LDL and HDL levels. Physical stress given daily over a period of time caused a steady increase in serum total cholesterol and LDL without a significantly altering high density lipoproteins (HDL) or serum triglycerides. Daily injections of epinerphrine in oil caused an increase in both serum total cholesterol and LDL levels while daily injections of norepinephrine did not. Reversal of the treatments caused a reversed response in both groups of rats. Similar increases in both total cholesterol and LDL levels occurred in graduate students during preparation for their comprehensive written or oral thesis/dissertation defense.
Injection of eigher dichloroisoproterenol (M.W. = 248) or naloxone (M.W. = 346) in rats prior to stress inhibited the increase in total cholesterol and LDL levels, although naloxone at the dosage given was more effective, possibly due to its larger molecular weight. When naloxone plus epinephrine was injected into non-stressed rats, there was a significant increase in total cholesterol and LDL levels, but the increase was not as great as that of groups injected with epinephrine only. Stressed, adrenalectomized rats exhibited higher cholesterol and LDL levels than the normal reported range for rats of their age and weight, but their levels did not differ from those of stressed, sham-operated rats indicating that the adrenals per se are not needed for stress-induced elevation of blood LDL levels.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:UTAHS/oai:digitalcommons.usu.edu:etd-5241
Date01 May 1983
CreatorsGoliszek, Andrew G.
PublisherDigitalCommons@USU
Source SetsUtah State University
Detected LanguageEnglish
Typetext
Formatapplication/pdf
SourceAll Graduate Theses and Dissertations
RightsCopyright for this work is held by the author. Transmission or reproduction of materials protected by copyright beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright owners. Works not in the public domain cannot be commercially exploited without permission of the copyright owner. Responsibility for any use rests exclusively with the user. For more information contact Andrew Wesolek (andrew.wesolek@usu.edu).

Page generated in 0.0028 seconds