The role of catecholamines, melatonin and nitric oxide in the mechanisms of stress damage to the body

The mechanisms of response and adaptation of the body’s regulatory systems to stress factors is an urgent fundamental task and the goal of this study. The study used four experimental models of stress: acute stress, chronic stress, and their sequences. An acute stress response was induced in a 60-minute forced swimming test model in a pool. Chronic stress was simulated by restricting mobility (hypokinesia), which was done by placing the rats into special AE1001-R1 rat retainers, made of transparent polypropylene (OOO OpenScience, Russia), in which they were kept for 10 days, 20 hours a day. The levels of biogenic amines (adrenaline, norepinephrine, serotonin), melatonin and nitric oxide in blood serum were determined by a method of enzyme-linked immunosorbent. the results obtained provide fair evidence of an increased functional activity of both stress-response (sympathoadrenal system) and stress-limiting systems (ST, MT, NO) in stress reactions of the body, the severity of which depends on the duration and sequence of stress stimuli on animals.