Effect of chronic restraint stress on immune status of male sprague dawley rats

ABSTRACT

To determine the effect of chronic restraint stress on immune status of Sprague Dawley rats by comparing total leukocyte count [TLC], total lymphocyte count and levels of serum immunoglobulins A, E, G and M of the rats exposed to chronic restraint stress with that of healthy control rats. Quasi-experimental study. Centre of Research in Experimental and Applied Medicine [CREAM], Army Medical College, Rawalpindi, in collaboration of National Institute of Health [NIH], Islamabad, from June 2008 to June 2009. Sixty healthy male Sprague Dawley rats were obtained from NIH. Rats were divided into two groups, each having 30 rats. The rats of group-I were not exposed to chronic restraint stress, while rats of group-II were exposed to chronic restraint stress in meshwire restrainer for 6 hours daily for 15 days. Estimation of total lymphocyte count and serum immunoglobulins [IgG, IgA, IgM and IgE] was carried out and compared between the groups. TLC, lymphocyte count and serum IgA, IgE, IgG and IgM levels were found significantly lower in rats exposed to chronic restraint stress as compared to the rats which were not exposed to stress [p < 0.001]. Chronic restraint stress compromises immune status of rats by decreasing the levels of immunoglobulins and lymphocyte count