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Updated: Aug 24, 2026

Restraint to Induce Stress in Mice and Rats
Published on: December 6, 2024
NMDA receptor antagonists reduce restraint-induced release of prolactin in male rats
Jian-Xiang Liu1, Ji-Zeng Du, Sayaka Asai
1Division of Neurobiology and Physiology, College of Life Sciences, Yuquan Campus, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, People's Republic of China.
Objective:
To investigate the effects of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonists on restraint-induced release of prolactin (PRL) in male Wistar rats of different ages.
Design:
Rats were implanted with a brain ventricular for icv injection, and with a jugular vein cannula for iv injection. Competitive NMDA receptor antagonist AP-5 and noncompetitive NMDA receptor blocker MK-801 was injected via brain cannula or vein cannula and was restrained for 3 hours. The blood sample was collected through vein cannula during the restraint. The plasma concentration of prolactin was measured by RIA.
Results:
The restraint-induced PRL release in the adult rat (12-weeks) was significantly suppressed by MK-801 (50 microg/rat, icv; or 5 mg/kg, iv) and was partially inhibited by pretreatment of AP-5 (50, 100 microg/rat, icv), but was not changed by systemic administration of AP-5 (10 mg/kg, iv). MK-801 (5 mg/kg, iv) prevented the restraint-induced PRL release in the peripuberal rat (45-days) and in the middle-aged rat (16-months).
Conclusion:
Central NMDA receptors mediate restraint-induced PRL release in the male rat.
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