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ISSN 2522-9028 (Print)
ISSN 2522-9036 (Online)
DOI: https://doi.org/10.15407/fz

Fiziologichnyi Zhurnal

(English title: Physiological Journal)

is a scientific journal issued by the

Bogomoletz Institute of Physiology
National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine

Editor-in-chief: V.F. Sagach

The journal was founded in 1955 as
1955 – 1977 "Fiziolohichnyi zhurnal" (ISSN 0015 – 3311)
1978 – 1993 "Fiziologicheskii zhurnal" (ISSN 0201 – 8489)
1994 – 2016 "Fiziolohichnyi zhurnal" (ISSN 0201 – 8489)
2017 – "Fiziolohichnyi zhurnal" (ISSN 2522-9028)

Fiziol. Zh. 2026; 72(2): 90-102

Hormones and Neuromediators – Markers of Stress Resistance

P. Yanchuk, I. Pampukha, O. Mykolaychuk

  1. National Taras Shevchenko University of Kyiv, Ukraine
DOI: https://doi.org/10.15407/fz72.02.090


Abstract

The review analyses the scientific literature on stress reaction development and the role of hormones and neurotransmitters in this process, as well as in the body’s resistance to stress. It also considers the possibility of using these substances as markers of stress resistance. Stress resistance is characterized by a balanced interaction in the central nervous system (CNS) of the processes of excitation, primarily with the participation of glutamate, and inhibition, with the involvement of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and glycine, through the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and the CNS activation chain, in particular, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), serotonin, and dopamine. Any dysregulation in these links makes the body vulnerable. Therefore, a more optimal marker is not the individual content of these markers, but their ratio. Cortisol signals stress. Meanwhile, glutamate, GABA, and glycine influence the plasticity of neural activity to balance brain activity, while DHEA, serotonin, and dopamine modulate it. There is a synchronous interaction between DHEA and cortisol. DHEA counteracts the effects of cortisol, acting as an anti-stress hormone that determines the level of adaptation to stress. High cortisol and low serotonin levels are observed in less stress-resistant individuals compared to more stress-resistant individuals. The balanced interaction of serotonin and dopamine is crucial for stress resistance, determining flexible behavioural adaptation, emotional regulation, and the maintenance of cognitive functions. Thus, during psycho-emotional stress, significant changes in the content of hormones and neurotransmitters — markers of stress resistance are observed. Therefore, determining their levels and personalised balance in the bodies of military personnel is important for establishing their degree of stress resistance.

Keywords: stress resistance; hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis; cortisol; glutamate; dehydroepiandrosterone; serotonin; dopamine; γ-aminobutyric acid; glycine

Full text: (PDF, in Ukrainian)

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