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Journal of Psychopharmacology, Vol. 17, No. 2, 179-183 (2003)
DOI: 10.1177/0269881103017002005

The Effect of Emotional Stress on the Primary Humoral Immunity of Rats

Feng Shao

Brain Behaviour Research Center, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing and Department of Psychology, Peking University, Peking, China.

Wenjuan Lin

Weiwen Wang

Welton Craig Washington, Jr

Li Zheng

Brain Behaviour Research Center, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.

The effect of exposure to emotional stress on humoral immune function after injection with ovalbumin, a novel antigen, was studied in adult male Wistar rats. Emotional stress was induced by randomly giving empty water bottles to rats trained to drink water at set times. The results showed that emotional stress induced the decrease in spleen weight and specific immunoglobulin G antibody level to ovalbumin, and increased levels of epinephrine, norepinephrine and corticosterone. A decrease of antibody levels correlated negatively with an increase in plasma norepinephrine levels. These findings suggest that emotional stress can modulate immune function, and that sympathetic nervous system may be involved in this immunomodulation.

Key Words: antibody • emotional stress • empty water bottles • immunomodulation • sympathetic nervous system


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