The effects of psychological stress on plasma interleukin-6 activity in rats

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of a particular psychological stress, exposure to an open-field, on plasma IL-6 activity in rats. Plasma IL-6 activity was 40.6 +/- 7.2 units/ml in control rats, 105 +/- 6.8 units/ml after 30 minutes exposure to an open-field, and 221 +/- 17 units/ml after 60 minutes of exposure (p = 0.0003). There was a positive correlation (r = .71, p = 0.043) between the change in plasma IL-6 activity and body temperature. However, we conclude, based on earlier data relating plasma IL-6 activity to body temperature changes following injection of lipopolysaccharide, that the plasma levels of IL-6 following exposure to an open-field are not high enough to account for the rise in body temperature observed in rats during this stress. In conclusion, these experiments indicate that exposure to psychological stress can elevate the plasma concentration of IL-6, a known mediator of the acute phase response.