Effects of mental and physical stress on plasma catecholamine levels before and afterβ-adrenoceptor blocker treatment

Abstract

In a study in mild hypertensives, the impact of mental and physical stress on plasma epinephrine (E), norepinephrine (NE), and on their ratio (NE/E) was evaluated. The effect of two beta-adrenoceptor blocking drugs, atenolol and bopindolol, on plasma catecholamine levels was also examined. Each stressful stimulus significantly increased the NE and E levels compared to rest. The increase was progressive from mental stress, through the handgrip test to the treadmill test. A slight decrease in the NE/E ratio was observed following mental stress and the handgrip test, while this ratio increased during the treadmill test. No significant impact of beta blocking treatment on catecholamine levels was observed under any test condition.

Effects of Mind-Body Training on Cytokines and Their Interactions with Catecholamines

“…Considering that advanced meditators show a significant increase in plasma NE, 35 the interactions between the NE/E ratio and IL-10 in this study may be associated with advanced meditation. As a slight decrease in the NE/E ratio was observed following mental stress, 20 the reduction of stress through MBT may affect NE/E ratio and its interaction with IL-10. NE provides long-term protection to dopaminergic neurons by reducing oxidative stress, 36 and catecholamines drive humoral immunity by stimulating IL-10 macrophage production.…”

“…Stressful stimulus significantly increased the NE and E levels and a slight decrease in the NE/E ratio was observed following mental stress. 20 The decrease of the NE/E ratio in spite of the increase of the NE and E levels 20 indicates the relatively greater increase of E than that of NE. Also, phenylethanolamine N-methyltransferase (PNMT) is an enzyme that converts NE to E, and an increase in stress hormones can cause PNMT to convert more NE into E. Thus, it is thought that this relative analysis is meaningful and beneficial for elucidating the specific action and role of each catecholamine.…”

Sympathetic nervous system-targeted neuropeptide Y overexpression in mice enhances neointimal formation in response to vascular injury

“…It has been shown in rats and men that ACE inhibitors decrease plasma NPY and NE levels by preventing the angiotensin II-induced sympathetic transmitter release via presynaptic angiotensin receptors [21,25,42]. β-Blockers, on the other hand, had no effect on plasma NPY levels in normo- or hypertensive rats [42], or on plasma catecholamine levels in humans under stress [30]. …”

Stress‐induced blood pressure elevation in subjects with mild cognitive impairment: Effects of the dual‐type calcium channel blocker, cilnidipine

“…There are many indicators of the quantity of stress received, such as BP, heart rate, sympathetic activity, and catecholamine and cortisol levels 47–49 . Particularly, many investigators evaluated plasma norepinephrine and epinephrine concentrations together with BP and heart rate 50,51 . The lack of PR responses to the mental arithmetic test in the present study may have been recompensed if we had measured plasma catecholamine.…”