[The action of defensins on the corticosterone level of the blood and on the immune response in stress].

The influence of defensins on the level of corticosterone in the blood and immune response in stress was studied. Defensins were shown to have corticostatic activity in vivo in the models of stress- and ACTG-induced elevation of corticosterone. Also defensins abolished the immunosuppressive action of combining stress in animals. These results suggest that defensins may be endogenic peptides with stress-protective properties.