The Effects of Immobilization Stress on Serum Ghrelin Level, Food Intake and Body Weight in Male and Female Rats

Stress causes various physiological, histological and behavioral changes.. The goal of the present study was to evaluate the effects of chronic immobilization stress on plasma ghrelin level, food intake and body weight in both male and female rats.. Twenty male and 20 female rats were studied. These animals were divided to four groups (two control groups and two experimental groups). In the experimental groups, rats were exposed to immobilization stress for 14 days. On the fourteenth day serum ghrelin level was measured by the ELISA kit. Food consumption and body weight change during 14 days were also recorded. Student t-test was used to compare mean among the groups.. In male rats, immobilization stress significantly (P 0.0001) increased serum ghrelin level and decreased body weight as compared with the control group (P 0.0001). Food consumption significantly (P 0.0001) increased in stressed female and male rats.. The results of this study indicate that the effect of stress on serum ghrelin level and body weight is gender-depended..