[Increased lipid peroxidation in the rat hypothalamus after short-term emotional stress]

Concentrations of TBA-reactive substances (TBARS) were measured spectrophotometrically in homogenates of small samples of the brain (hypothalamus, parieto-occipital, sensori-motor and limbic cortex), heart, liver and adrenals of male August and Wistar rats; the former strain is more susceptible to emotional stress than the latter one. Forced isolation of the rats in the restraining plastic cages for 1 h increased the TBARS concentrations in the hypothalamus and liver in August rats only. TBARS accumulation in some tissues correlated with such indices of emotional stress as the changes in relative weight of thymus and adrenals. As regards the brain regions, after 1-hour emotional stress the TBARS levels were no longer different because of an increment in hypothalamic TBARS concentration. However, in control conditions the hypothalamus had significantly lower TBARS levels than any other brain structure both in Wistar and August rats.