The zero-stress state of the esophagus is the state in which the esophagus is stress-free. It is in close correlation with physiology and pathology of the esophagus. The purpose of the review is to describe briefly the basic theory of zero-stress state and its physiological and pathologic implications in the esophagus.
Esophagus ; physiology ; physiopathology ; Humans ; Stress, Physiological

This review summarizes the present advance of effects of stress on hippocampal structure and function and the role of hippocampus in feedback regulation of thalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axis during stress. It shows that stress can affect hippocampal structure and function, on the other hand, the hippocampus can also suppress the stress reaction through the feedback regulation of HPA axis, but chronic stress can attenuate this regulation, then significantly impair its structure and function.
Animals ; Hippocampus/physiopathology* ; Humans ; Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System/physiology* ; Pituitary-Adrenal System/physiology* ; Stress, Physiological/physiopathology*

Adult ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; physiopathology ; Cardiovascular Physiological Phenomena ; Case-Control Studies ; Female ; Heart ; physiopathology ; Humans ; Pregnancy ; Sports ; Stress, Psychological ; physiopathology

OBJECTIVETo study the effect of vertebrae semi-dislocation on the stress distribution in facet joint and interuertebral disc of patients with cervical syndrome using three dimensional finite element model.

METHODSA patient with cervical spondylosis was randomly chosen, who was male, 28 years old, and diagnosed as cervical vertebra semidislocation by dynamic and static palpation and X-ray, and scanned from C(1) to C(7) by 0.75 mm slice thickness of CT. Based on the CT data, the software was used to construct the three dimensional finite element model of cervical vertebra semidislocation (C(4)-C(6)). Based on the model,virtual manipulation was used to correct the vertebra semidislocation by the software, and the stress distribution was analyzed.

RESULTSThe result of finite element analysis showed that the stress distribution of C(5-6) facet joint and intervertebral disc changed after virtual manipulation.

CONCLUSIONThe vertebra semidislocation leads to the abnormal stress distribution of facet joint and intervertebral disc.

Adult ; Cervical Vertebrae ; injuries ; physiopathology ; Finite Element Analysis ; Humans ; Intervertebral Disc ; physiopathology ; Joint Dislocations ; physiopathology ; Male ; Models, Anatomic ; Stress, Physiological ; Zygapophyseal Joint ; physiopathology

AIMTo investigate the effect of cold, partial sleep deprivation, partial sleep deprivation plus cold on blood routine parameters and erythrocyte sedimentation rate of mice.

METHODSTwenty-four Mus musculus mice were divided into four groups (n=6) randomly: (1) control, (2) cold group: mice were treated with (10 +/- 2) degrees C cold stimulation for four hours per day, (3) partial sleep deprivation group: mice were deprived sleep from 18:00 to 9:00 next day, (4) partial sleep deprivation plus cold group: mice were treated with cold stimulation based on partial sleep deprivation. After four days treatment, the mice were sacrificed and the blood was collected to detect the blood routine parameters and erythrocyte sedimentation rate.

RESULTSCompared with the control, cold stimulation would increase the contents and proportion of lymphocyte significantly. Partial sleep deprivation would decrease the white blood cell contents, lymphocyte contents and lymphocyte proportion significantly. After treated with cold stimulation plus partial sleep deprivation, the white blood cell and lymphocyte contents decreased and the erythrocyte sedimentation rate increased evidently compared with other three groups.

CONCLUSIONPartial sleep deprivation could inhibit immune function of the mice. When the mice were treated with cold stimulation plus partial sleep deprivation, the immune function of the mice would be inhibited further more and at the same time the erythrocyte sedimentation rate increased significantly.

Animals ; Blood Sedimentation ; Cold Temperature ; adverse effects ; Lymphocytes ; immunology ; Male ; Mice ; Random Allocation ; Sleep Deprivation ; blood ; physiopathology ; Stress, Physiological ; physiology

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a common age-related neurodegenerative disorder characterized mainly by motor dysfunction resulting in bradykinesia, rigidity, tremor, gait impairment, and postural instability. The classic pathogenic feature of PD is preferential loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra. Downregulation of rRNA transcription is one of major mechanisms to maintain cellular homeostasis under stress conditions. Nucleolar stress has emerged as a component of the degenerative process caused by impaired rRNA transcription and altered nucleolar integrity. Recent study has indicated that the response to stress conditions and quality control mechanisms are impaired in PD, and that metabolic stress may be a trigger mechanism for PD. This review aims to present evidence for a role of nucleolar stress in PD and has summarized mechanisms by which nucleolar stress may play a role in the progression of PD.
Cell Nucleolus ; physiology ; Humans ; Parkinson Disease ; etiology ; physiopathology ; RNA, Ribosomal ; genetics ; Signal Transduction ; Stress, Physiological ; TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases ; physiology

This study was aimed to investigate the effect of stress induced by high-intensity exercises on the cardiovascular system. In the epidemiological investigation, 200 subjects (test group) engaged in special high-intensity exercises, and 97 who lived and worked in the same environment and conditions as those in the test group, but did not participate in the exercises served as controls. In the second part of the study, 50 mice were randomly divided into control group, exhaustive swimming group, white noise group, exhaustive swimming plus white noise group, and pioglitazone intervention group. The results showed that the plasma concentrations of the myocardial injury markers heart fatty acid-binding protein (H-FABP), C-reactive protein (CRP), β-endorphin (β-EP) and levels of psychological stress were significantly increased in test group as compared with control group; special high-intensity exercises resulted in a significant elevation of the incidence of cardiac arrhythmias. Animal experiments showed that the plasma levels of corticosterone (CORT) and troponin I (TnI) were raised while the level of SOD was reduced in exhaustive swimming group, white noise group, and exhaustive swimming plus white noise group. The expression levels of PPARγ mRNA and protein were decreased in myocardial tissues in these groups as well. HE staining showed no remarkable change in myocardial tissues in all the groups. Treatment with pioglitazone significantly decreased the plasma levels of TnI and CORT, while increased the level of SOD and the expression levels of PPARγ mRNA and protein. It was concluded that the high-intensity exercises may induce a heavy physical and psychological stress and predispose the subjects to accumulated fatigue and sleep deprivation; high-intensity exercises also increases the incidence of arrhythmias and myocardial injury. PPARγ may be involved in the physical and psychological changes induced by high-intensity exercises.
Animals ; Heart Injuries ; physiopathology ; Male ; Mice ; PPAR gamma ; genetics ; physiology ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Stress, Physiological

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of exchange of tracheal tube for a laryngeal mask airway (LMA) on intratracheal extubation stress response under deep anesthesia level after surgery in elderly patients with hypertension.

METHODSFrom October 2008 to June 2009, 40 hypertension patients aged from 65 to 78 years scheduled for upper abdominal surgery were randomly divided into 2 groups, one was extubated intratracheal tube when being awake (group TT, n = 20) and the other was extubated and exchanged for LMA under deep anesthesia (group LM, n = 20). The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) of the patients were I o rII. The data of mean arterial pressure (MAP), heart rate(HR), pulse oxygen saturation (SPO(2)), end-tidal carbon dioxide tension (P(ET)CO(2)) and rate pressure product(RPP) were recorded before induction of anesthesia (T(0)), suction (T(1)) and at 0 (T(2)), 5(T(3)), and 10 (T(4)) and 15 min (T(5)) after extubation tracheal tube or LMA in two groups. The indices mentioned above also were recorded before and after extubation in group LM. Blood samples were taken at T(0), skin incision, T(2), T(3), for determination of serum concentrations of blood glucose and cortisol. The airway adverse events in the recovery period were recorded.

RESULTSCompared with group LM, MAP, HR and RPP were significantly higher at T(1), T(2), T(3) than T(0) in group TT (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in the indices mentioned above during extubated intratracheal tube and exchanged for LMA under deep anesthesia in group LM (P > 0.05). The incidence rate of glossoptosis in group TT was significantly higher than those in group LM (P < 0.01), while complications, such as cough, bucking, breath holding during the recovery stage in group TT were more than those in group LM (P < 0.05). Compared with the baseline value, blood glucose and cortisol concentration level were significantly increased in group TT than in group LM (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONSExchange of tracheal tube for LMA under deep anesthesia during recovery stage can decrease the stress response during the recovery stage and attenuate the harmful response of respiratory tract. It is suitable for the elderly patients with hypertension.

Aged ; Anesthesia, General ; Device Removal ; methods ; Female ; Humans ; Hypertension ; physiopathology ; Intubation, Intratracheal ; Laryngeal Masks ; Male ; Postanesthesia Nursing ; Stress, Physiological

OBJECTIVETo observe the protective effect of acupuncture-drug compound anesthesia with different frequency electroacupuncture on stress reaction in pneumonectomy and to explore potential mechanisms.

METHODSEighty patients scheduled for pneumonectomy were randomly divided into four groups, named group A, B, C and D, 20 cases in each group. General anesthesia and single lung protective mechanical ventilation were produced in all the groups. They were treated with acupuncture at Houxi (SI 3), Zhigou (TE 6), Neiguan (PC 6), and Hegu (Li 4) 30 min before general anesthesia, and then with Han's acupoint nerve stimulator (HANS-200). The acupuncture needles without needle bodies were pasted on the acupoints and the electroacupuncture were not turned on in group A, and the 2 Hz continuous wave were produced in group B, and 100 Hz continuous wave were produced in group C and the 2 Hz/100 Hz were produced in group D. The supplementary anesthesia medicine during pneumonectomy, heart rate (HR), mean arterial pressure (MAP), CD4+ /CD/ in venous blood before and after the surgery, and the contents of epinephrine (E) and cortisol (Cor) in plasma at the time of inter-room and outer-room were detected.

RESULTS(1) The supplementary fentanyl in group B and C were lower than those in group A and D (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). (2) The MAP in the four groups at intratracheal intubation (T1) were all higher than those at before anesthesia (T0) (all P < 0.01), and the ascending extent in group B, C and D were lower than that in group A (all P < 0.01). The HR at T in group A was higher than that at T0 (P < 0.05) and there were no significant differences in the other groups (all P > 0.05), and the ascending extent in group B and D were lower than that in group A (both P < 0.05). The MAP and HR at the other moment in all the groups were maintained stable. (3) CD4+ /CD8+ in group A after pneumonectomy was lower than that before the surgery (P < 0.05), and there were no significant differences in the other groups (all P > 0.05). (4) The content of E and Cor after the surgery were all increased (all P < 0.01), and the ascending extent of E in group D was lower than that in group A (P < 0.05), and the ascending level of Cor in group B and D were lower than that in group A (P < 0.01) and group B compared with group C and D were got the same result.

CONCLUSIONAcupuncture-drug compound anesthesia can attenuate the stress reaction so as to protect organs under the condition of less drug and can alleviates the undulate phenomenon of MAP and HR at intubation and stabilize CD4+ /CD8+ after pneumonectomy. Among them, the 2 Hz and 2 Hz/100 Hz electroacupuncture groups have the comparatively better effects.

Acupuncture Analgesia ; Adult ; Anesthesia, General ; Blood Pressure ; Electroacupuncture ; Female ; Heart Rate ; Humans ; Intraoperative Complications ; physiopathology ; therapy ; Intraoperative Period ; Lung ; physiopathology ; surgery ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pneumonectomy ; Stress, Physiological

This study was undertaken to observe the effect of acute stress on seizure occurrence in chronic period of epileptic model rats. Lithium-pilocarpine (LiCl-PILO)-induced epileptic rat model was constructed. At the spontaneous recurrent seizure period, acute stress stimulations such as cat's urine and foot electrical shock were applied to observe the behavioral changes and seizure occurrence. The results showed that after the cat's urine stimulation, the self-directed behaviors of the epileptic model rats decreased significantly, while the risk assessment behaviors increased significantly. The seizure occurrence, however, was not observed during the 45 min after the stimulation. Applying electrical foot shocks also did not evoke seizures in epileptic model rats. On the contrast, intra-peritoneal injection of low dose of pentylenetetrazole (PTZ, 30 mg/kg) evoked seizure more efficiently, and the duration of seizure activity was extensively prolonged in epileptic model rats than that of control rats. Taken together, these results indicate that although applying stress stimulations such as cat's urine and electrical foot shock cause several behavioral changes, they are not severe enough to evoke seizure in epileptic model rats.
Animals ; Behavior, Animal ; Disease Models, Animal ; Epilepsy ; chemically induced ; physiopathology ; Lithium Chloride ; adverse effects ; Pentylenetetrazole ; adverse effects ; Pilocarpine ; adverse effects ; Rats ; Seizures ; physiopathology ; Stress, Physiological