Chronic social stress in the visible burrow system modulates stress-related gene expression in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis.
Prolonged social subjugation produces physiological indices of chronic stress in rats. In the current study, we examined the impact of social stress on glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) isoforms, corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) and vasopressin mRNA expression in forebrain stress circuitry, using the visible burrow system model of dominance-subordination. Subordinate male rats develop behavioral and neuroendocrine changes consistent with exposure to chronic stress, including marked loss of body weight and elevation of basal plasma corticosterone relative to dominant rats. Forebrain GAD65, GAD67, CRH and vasopressin mRNA expression in central stress-regulatory circuits were examined by in situ hybridization. Elevated CRH mRNA was observed in the oval nucleus of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BST) of subordinate males. In contrast, GAD67 expression was decreased in the interfascicular nucleus of the BST in both the subordinate and dominant rats compared to non-burrow control rats. No changes in CRH, GAD or vasopressin were observed in amygdaloid nuclei, other BST nuclei or in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus. Collectively, these data suggest that exposure to the visible burrow system attenuates BST GAD expression regardless of social status, whereas the enhanced physiological responses to social stress seen in subordinates may be associated with enhanced CRH expression in the oval nucleus of the BST.
Choi
Dennis C
DC
Neuroscience Program, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA. choidc@email.uc.edu
Nguyen
Mary M N
MM
Tamashiro
Kellie L K
KL
Ma
Li Yun
LY
Sakai
Randall R
RR
Herman
James P
JP
D000311:Adrenal Glands / Q000473:pathology; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D001835:Body Weight / Q000502:physiology; D003345:Corticosterone / Q000097:blood; D003346:Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D004291:Dominance-Subordination; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000502:physiology*; D005968:Glutamate Decarboxylase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D017403:In Situ Hybridization / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D009929:Organ Size / Q000502:physiology; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D011863:Radioimmunoassay / Q000379:methods; D051381:Rats; D020318:Rats, Long-Evans; D012686:Septal Nuclei / Q000378:metabolism*; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000473:pathology; D014667:Vasopressins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
D012333:RNA, Messenger; D014667:Vasopressins; D003346:Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone; D005968:Glutamate Decarboxylase; D003345:Corticosterone