Behavioral, hormonal and histological stress markers of anxiety-separation in postnatal rats are reduced by prepro-thyrotropin-releasing hormone 178-199.
We investigated in the present study whether systemic injections of prepro-thyrotropin-releasing-hormone 178-199 (PPTRH 178-199) in postnatal 3-days old rat pups can provide ameliorative effects in a model of anxiety-separation disorder. The pups were individually separated from their mother and placed in a novel environment. PPTRH 178-199-treated animals started exploring the novel environment in a significantly shorter time and elicited significantly less distress vocalizations than control animals. PPTRH 178-199-treated animals also had markedly lower serum adrenocorticotropic hormone and corticosterone compared to control animals. Furthermore, we observed a significant increase in PPTRH 178-199 immunoreactive cell bodies in the hypothalamus of PPTRH 178-199-treated animals compared to controls, suggesting that the peptide crossed the blood-brain barrier. PPTRH 178-199 treatment can help to reduce behavioral and hormonal disturbances associated with anxiety-separation situations.
Stahl
Christine E
CE
Department of Internal Medicine, Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington, DC 20307, USA.
Redei
Eva
E
Wang
Yun
Y
Borlongan
Cesario V
CV
D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone / Q000097:blood; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001010:Anxiety, Separation / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D003345:Corticosterone / Q000097:blood; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005106:Exploratory Behavior / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D006728:Hormones / Q000097:blood; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008426:Maternal Deprivation; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D010286:Paraventricular Hypothalamic Nucleus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D013973:Thyrotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014828:Vocalization, Animal / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology
D006728:Hormones; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D011498:Protein Precursors; C057640:prepro-thyrotropin-releasing hormone (178-199); D013973:Thyrotropin-Releasing Hormone; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone; D003345:Corticosterone