[Glucose tolerance of postnatally stress-sensitized albino rats following chronic emotional stress in adulthood].

Male albino rats were used to study the effect of electrical stimulation in the postnatal phase (day 1--15) leading to short-time convulsions and cyanosis lasting about 10 min in 5-month-old animals upon the development of glycemic dysregulation induced by emotional stress. The studies involving i.p. glucose administration show that a 3-week stress influence on postnatally stimulated animals caused heavier changes of glycemic regulation than with non-pretreated animals. These results suggest a stress sensitization occurring in the postnatal phase and are discussed in connection with the "stress-sensitive risk personality" by R. BAUMANN. Further studies have shown that the postnatal stress sensitiveness is reversible and cannot only be compensated by a rest period of several weeks but may even cause stress resistance on renewed stressing for three weeks.