title: Induction of c-fos-like protein in the rat adrenal cortex by acute stress--immunocytochemical evidence.
abstract: The effect of immobilization stress on the expression of c-fos protein in the adrenal cortex of adult rats was investigated immunocytochemically. After immobilization stress lasting for longer than 30 min, an enhanced c-fos-like immunoreactivity was observed in the cortical cells of the zona fasciculata and zona reticulata. Compared to unstressed controls, an about 5-fold increase in the density of the immunoreactive cells in a unit of the cortical area was seen following a 1-h immobilization. The enhanced immunoreactivity lasted for at least 3 h after 1-h immobilization and it began to diminish 5 h after the stress. Furthermore, administration of dexamethasone 2 h prior to 1-h immobilization attenuated the stress-enhanced immunostaining for the c-fos-like protein. These results suggest that an acute stress may cause a dramatic and long-persisting induction of c-fos-like protein in the cortical cells of rat adrenals. The characteristic zonal distribution of the c-fos induction in rat adrenals as well as the effect of dexamethasone suggest involvement of the pituitary adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) in the induction.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, University of Tampere, Finland.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Koistinaho
authors.forename: S H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hervonen
mesh_terms: D000302:Adrenal Cortex / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000494:pharmacology; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos; D003907:Dexamethasone; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone