Psychological Stress‐Induced Oxidative Stress as a Model of Sub‐Healthy Condition and the Effect of TCM

Abstract

Distress-mediated tissue oxidative stress was examined as a model of sub-healthy condition defined in traditional Chinese medicine theory. Mice were subjected to psychologically stressful conditions by whiskers removal. Under this condition, spontaneous locomotive activity was significantly enhanced in the dark (P < 0.05 versus the control mice in three different movements), and granulocytes/lymphocytes balance shifted to granulocytes. At the same time, peroxynitrite level in blood plasma increased to ∼180% from that of the control mice at 6 h after removal of the whiskers (P < 0.01), and was maintained even after 12 h. Both protein carbonyl formation and lipid peroxidation were significantly increased under this condition in brain, heart, liver and spleen at 6 h after removal of whiskers (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01), and these levels were maximized after 12 h (increased to 120–160%, P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). The oxidative tissue injuries observed at 12 h after the removal of the whiskers were effectively prevented by two traditional Chinese medicine formula: Shengmai San (SMS) and Ling Gui Zhu Gan Tang (LGZGT), when administered for 5 days before the removal of the whiskers. Therefore, this stress model is considered useful in assessing the preventive potential of antioxidants and antioxidant-based herbal mixtures in treating the pathophysiology associated with psychological or emotional distress.

A pilot study on the association between job stress and repeated measures of immunological biomarkers in female nurses

“…Reduction of granulocytes in this study may be possibly interpreted as Th1-to-Th2 shift by chronic stress repressing the production of proinflammatory cytokines. However, further study is warranted given the contrasting results that cutting whiskers of mice increased the granulocytes/lymphocytes ratio (Wang et al 2007) and that the average WBCs were associated with driving time in taxi drivers (Chen et al 2005).…”

Chronic stress impacts the cardiovascular system: animal models and clinical outcomes

“…In contrast, improved antioxidant mechanisms are related to a reduction of stress symptoms. For instance, whisker removal in mice induces increased spontaneous locomotor activity that is associated with granulocytosis, increased plasma peroxynitrite levels, and protein carbonyl formation/lipid peroxidation in brain, heart, liver, and spleen (357). Under these conditions, the applied stress is accompanied by a minimum amount of physical abuse.…”

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“…Chronic exposure to stress is well known to promote free radical generation and increased ROS levels in the body [6], and oxidative stress is a key factor in neuronal cell death and damage [37]. ROS Results are given as means ± standard deviation of three independent experiments; each experiment contained triplicate samples.…”

“…For example, various stress paradigms significantly affect learning and memory functions and intensify fear memory in mice [2,3]. Stress-induced effects likely arise through a complex interaction of various factors and mechanisms, including decreases in the levels of central neurotransmitters, neurohormonal factors [4] and neurotrophic factors [5], and increases in free radical generation and oxidative damage in the central nervous system [6]. Furthermore, a variety of disease states, including ischemia-reperfusion injury and hyperoxia, are associated with increased mitochondrial oxidant generation, mitochondrial oxidative injury or ATP depletion [7,8].…”