Influence of immobilization stress on the level of secretion of thyroid hormones

Humans and animals encounter various stress factors in the process of life. Numerous data demonstrate that stress may serve as the pathological basis of the development of various diseases - the number of which has been increasing continually. It is believed that the prolonged influence of hormones which participate in the formation of the stress reaction and which cause grave disturbances in the metabolism of lipids, carbohydrates, and electrolytes is the basis of the development of diseases in the presence of prolonged stress on the organism. However, it is the function of the thyroid axis in particular under the influence of stress on the organism that is least studied. The influence of stress factors on the process of secretion and metabolism of the thyroid hormones, as well as the changes induced by these factors in target organs, have been studied inadequately. In this context, the aim of the present study was the investigation of the influence of immobilization stress on the process of secretion of the thyroid hormones.