title: Chronic psychosocial stress down-regulates central cytokines mRNA.
abstract: Brain cytokines have been implicated in brain plasticity and mood alterations. We present here the first evidence of a chronic stress-induced modulation of central cytokines, in absence of experimentally induced inflammatory processes. Several brain areas were extracted from stressed and control mice and cytokines mRNA analyzed with semi-quantitative RT-PCR. Mice subjected to chronic psychosocial stress showed decreased interleukin (IL)-1beta mRNA levels in the hippocampus, decreased IL-1Receptor antagonist in the striatum and pituitary, decreased tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha in the striatum and hippocampus, and decreased glucocorticoid receptor (GR) in the striatum and hippocampus compared to group housed sibling mice. An independent group of mice subjected to chronic psychosocial stress also showed increased plasma corticosterone. These findings may open new perspectives for understanding the pathophysiological basis of chronic stress-induced disorders.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Biologia Evolutiva e Funzionale, Università di Parma, Parco area delle Scienze 11/A, 43100, Parma, Italy. bartolomucci@biol.unipr.it
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bartolomucci
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Palanza
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Parmigiani
authors.forename: Tiziana
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Pederzani
authors.forename: Elodie
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Merlot
authors.forename: Pierre J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Neveu
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dantzer
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000276:immunology*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003345:Corticosterone / Q000097:blood; D016207:Cytokines / Q000235:genetics*; D015536:Down-Regulation / Q000276:immunology; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000276:immunology; D053590:Interleukin 1 Receptor Antagonist Protein; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000235:genetics; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000235:genetics; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000235:genetics; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D015213:Neuroimmunomodulation / Q000502:physiology; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D012795:Sialoglycoproteins / Q000235:genetics; D012919:Social Behavior; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000276:immunology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; C507764:Il1rn protein, mouse; D053590:Interleukin 1 Receptor Antagonist Protein; D007375:Interleukin-1; D015850:Interleukin-6; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D012795:Sialoglycoproteins; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D016753:Interleukin-10; D003345:Corticosterone