Effects of different adrenergic blockades on the stress resistance of Wistar rats

The coordinated responses of the sympathoadreno-medullary (SAM) system and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis could improve the organism's capacity to cope with stress, but its underlying mechanism is still unclear. In the present study, 32 Wistar rats were employed and divided into four groups: control, CUMS, PROP and PRAZ. After the chronic unpredicted mild stress (CUMS) model was built in the latter three groups, all animals were exposed to inescapable footshock. We found that α1-adrenoceptor antagonist prazosin (PRAZ) administration could improve behavior changes, reduce the cellular impairment in brain and inhibit the hyperfunction of HPA axis induced by CUMS exposure. Moreover, it decreased the heat shock protein 70 and inducible nitric oxide synthase expression in different brain areas as subsequently exposed to acute stress. In conclusion, α1-adrenoceptor may play a major role in regulating the coordinated responses between two physiological axes and improve the stress resistance. © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd.