Effect of High-tyrosine Diet on Brain Norepinephrine Metabolism in Immobilization-Stressed Rats

S.D.rats were fed with 3.4% tyrosine supplemented diet for 5 days. Tyrosine diet had no effects on brain NE and MHPG-SO4 levels in non-stressed rats. When these animals were given 3 hr-immobilization stress, they responded in a manner that coped better to the stress. This was measured by the increase in brain MHPG-SO4 indicating the increase in norepinephrine turnover by the stressed animals. When rats were stressed, fed basal or high-tyrosine diet, brain tyrosine concentration dropped more than 26% over the non-stress control animals. 3-hr immobilization stress also decreased brain NE levels. However, while the stress resulted in a significant decrease(p<0.05) of brain NE in basal diet, the decrease was not significant in high-TYR diet group. And as the stress index, serum corticosterone, glucose, and free fatty acid concentratons also were assayed. In this study, it was found that high-TYR diet prevented the stress-induced depletion of brain NE and suppressed the rise in serum corticosterone, glucose, and free fatty acid. These results suggest that high-TYR diet increases the coping ability of body to stress.