Psychogenic, neurogenic, and systemic stressor effects on plasma corticosterone and behavior: mouse strain-dependent outcomes.
The effects of several stressors were assessed in inbred strains of mice, BALB/cByJ and C57BL/6ByJ, thought to be differentially reactive to stressors. Behavioral reactivity was greater in BALB/cByJ mice with respect to open-field emergence, step-down responding, response to a predator (rat) or to fox urine odor. Neurogenic insults (e.g., footshock, forced swim, restraint) and a systemic stressor (intraperitoneal interleukin-1beta treatment) likewise provoked a greater rise of plasma corticosterone in the BALB/cByJ mice. Psychogenic stressors (e.g., novel open-field exposure, acoustic startle stimuli) also enhanced plasma corticosterone to a greater extent in BALB/cByJ mice, but such an outcome was not apparent following predator-related cues. It appears that whereas stressor reactivity and adrenal glucocorticoid release may be exaggerated in BALB/cByJ mice, such effects may be dependent on the specific characteristic of the stressor situation.
Anisman
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Institute of Neuroscience, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. hanisman@ccs.carleton.ca
Hayley
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S
Kelly
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O
Borowski
T
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Merali
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D000818:Animals; D001143:Arousal / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics*; D003345:Corticosterone / Q000097:blood*; D005239:Fear / Q000502:physiology*; D005838:Genotype; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D013216:Reflex, Startle / Q000502:physiology; D012931:Social Environment; D013045:Species Specificity; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000150:complications*
D007375:Interleukin-1; D003345:Corticosterone