Stress and amphetamine induce Fos expression in medial prefrontal cortex neurons containing glucocorticoid receptors.
Exposure to stress or amphetamine potently activates the immediate early gene, c-fos, within medial prefrontal cortex neurons, but the phenotype of these neurons is not known. Fluorescence immunohistochemistry was used to determine that a large subpopulation of medial prefrontal cortex cells expressing Fos protein after restraint and amphetamine also co-express nuclear glucocorticoid receptors (GRs). These findings suggest exposure to amphetamine activates the same medial prefrontal cortex regions responsible for integration of responses to stress, and suggest the potential for AP1-glucocorticoid cross-talk in these cell populations.
Department of Psychiatry, University of Cincinnati, Med. Sci. Bldg., Rm. G551, 231 Albert Sabin Way, Cincinnati, OH 45267-0559, USA. michelle.ostrander@psychiatry.uc.edu
Michelle M
MM
Ostrander
Neil M
NM
Richtand
James P
JP
Herman
D000661:Amphetamine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D016762:Genes, fos / Q000187:drug effects*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D011965:Receptors, Glucocorticoid / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D012149:Restraint, Physical; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000378:metabolism*
D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants; D011965:Receptors, Glucocorticoid; D000661:Amphetamine