Thiosemicarbazide Injection Followed by Electric Shock Increases Resistance to Stress in Rats

Adult rats that had been raised with a minimum of stimulation were injected with thiosemicarbazide, a drug that lowers γ-aminobutyric acid concentrations. Fifteen minutes later the animals were given 30 mild electric shocks over a half-hour period. Two weeks later they were tested for their resistance to gastric ulceration induced by immobilization. The experimental animals showed a much greater resistance to stress than did the appropriate control groups. A replication confirmed the results of the first study.