The influence of emotional stress on the urinary excretions of potassium and sodium.

Abstract

Urinary potassium and sodium levels were determined before, during, and after the first stress (avoidance conditioning) and the late stress (extinction) period in the ra t for 50 days. The potassium level was lowered rapidly during the stress periods coincidentally with an anxiety behavior, which was not restored thereafter. The excretion per intake ratio decreased rapidly and reached a minimum immediately after the onset of stress. It decreased thereafter , and did not restore. The sodium level was lowered markedly during the stress periods. It tended to restore after the stress. Excretion per intake ratio decreased markedly during the stress periods, and was restored rapidly increasing beyond the pre-stress level after the stress. Sodium per potassium excretion ratio decreased during the stress periods and restored and increased markedly after the stress. It is suggested that the potassium selection decreased according to the decrease in the excretion ratio induced by the emotional stress. Probably the present result is not related to G-A-S, because potassium and sodium excretions decreased.