[Changes in the homeostatic balance of prostacyclin-thromboxane generating systems during experimental social stress]

Chronic emotional stress leads to the reduction in prostacycline content in the vascular wall and to the elevation of the malonic aldehyde level in the platelets, with a simultaneous increase of the spontaneous platelet aggregation index. Antistressor and antiaggregation action of the adaptation to high mountains occurs at later times (day 30) in both normal and stress-exposed rats despite the fact that stress-exposed rats yield to normal ones as regards the magnitude of prostacycline activation in the vascular wall. This is accounted for by initial (before adaptation) stress-induced disturbance of the balance between prostacycline and thromboxan.