Stress-induced depression model in female rats--biochemical and histochemical investigation of brain monoamines.
Forced running stress induced a prolonged inactive state with the abolition of hormone-dependent cyclic behavior in some female rats which had already recovered from physical exhaustion. The state could be regarded as a "depression model" in these animals. In the biochemical study, norepinephrine in the hypothalamus was found to be significantly lowered in these animals. In the histochemical study, an increase of fluroescence intensity in nerve cell groups of the ascending norepinephrine system and a decrease of fluorescence intensity in nerve cells and terminals of the tubero-infundibular dopamine system were found in these animals. These findings were also seen in the rats which were examined immediately after the stress, but not in the rats which recovered their spontaneous and cyclic running activity in several weeks after the stress. These results suggest that changes of monoamine metabolism in the brain which is induced by the stress remains unrestored for a long time in the "depression model rats".
D000818:Animals; D001679:Biogenic Amines / Q000378:metabolism*; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D003863:Depression / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D006651:Histocytochemistry; D006801:Humans; D007031:Hypothalamus / Q000378:metabolism; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000150:complications*
D001679:Biogenic Amines; D009638:Norepinephrine