Investigation of the role of prolonged emotional stress in the genesis of hypercholesteremia and hypertension.

In experiments on freely moving rabbits, exposed to prolonged (for 2 h) interrupted stimulation of negative emotiogenic zones of the hypothalamus through implanted electrodes daily for 4 months, the development of a lasting endogenous hypercholesteremia and of a mild but lasting hypertension was observed. Changes in the cholesterol concentration were greater if stimulation continued in conjunction with daily feeding of the rabbits with small doses of methylthiouracil.