The influence of psychological stress on arginine vasopressin concentration in the human plasma and cerebrospinal fluid

• Psychological stress elevated arginine vasopressin (AVP) and cortisol concentration in plasma and cerebrospinal fluid.
• Psychological stress increased blood pressure and heart rate.
• There was a positive relationship between plasma AVP concentration and cortisol concentration, blood pressure or heart rate.
• There was a positive relationship between AVP concentration in plasma and in cerebrospinal fluid.
• AVP might influence the cardiovascular functions during psychological stress in human.

Psychological stress is strain affecting the intangible self, caused by problems in adaptation, perception, and emotions. Previous studies have demonstrated that arginine vasopressin (AVP) plays an important role in psychological stress. The goal of present study was to investigate the interaction between AVP release and cardiovascular functions by measuring AVP concentration and recording blood pressure or heart rate during psychological stress in human. The results showed that (1) psychological stress not only increased the systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure and heart rate, but also elevated the cortisol and AVP concentration in both plasma and CSF in a stress level-dependent manner; (2) there was a positive relationship between plasma AVP concentration and systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, heart rate or plasma cortisol concentration; (3) there was also a positive relationship between AVP concentrations in plasma and CSF AVP. The data suggested that plasma AVP, which might come from the central nervous system, might influence the cardiovascular functions during psychological stress in human.