title: Effects of chronic academic stress on mental state and expression of glucocorticoid receptor α and β isoforms in healthy Japanese medical students.
abstract: Chronic academic stress responses were assessed by measuring mental state, salivary cortisol levels, and the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) gene expression in healthy Japanese medical students challenging the national medical license examination. Mental states of 17 male and 9 female medical undergraduates, aged 25.0 ± 1.2 years (mean ± SD), were assessed by the State and Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) and the Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS) 2 months before, 2 days before, and 1 month after the examination. At the same time points, saliva and blood were collected. STAI-state scores peaked 2 days before the examination. Scores on STAI-trait and SDS, and salivary cortisol levels were consistently higher during the pre-examination period. One month after the examination, all these measures had significantly decreased to baseline levels. Real-time reverse transcription PCR showed that this chronic anxious state did not change the expression of the functional GRα mRNA isoform in peripheral leukocytes, while it resulted in reduced expression of the GRβ isoform 2 days before the examination. Our results replicate and extend a significant impact of chronic academic stressors on the mental state of healthy Japanese medical students and suggest a possible association of GRβ gene in response to psychological stress.
authors: Department of Stress Science, Institute of Health Biosciences, The University of Tokushima Graduate School, Tokushima, Japan.
authors: Ken
authors: K
authors: Kurokawa
authors: Toshihito
authors: T
authors: Tanahashi
authors: Akiho
authors: A
authors: Murata
authors: Yoko
authors: Y
authors: Akaike
authors: Sakurako
authors: S
authors: Katsuura
authors: Kensei
authors: K
authors: Nishida
authors: Kiyoshi
authors: K
authors: Masuda
authors: Yuki
authors: Y
authors: Kuwano
authors: Tomoko
authors: T
authors: Kawai
authors: Kazuhito
authors: K
authors: Rokutan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D044466:Asian People / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D020033:Protein Isoforms / Q000235:genetics; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D011965:Receptors, Glucocorticoid / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D012463:Saliva / Q000737:chemistry; D013315:Stress, Psychological; D013337:Students, Medical
chemical_list: C497713:NR3C1 protein, human; D020033:Protein Isoforms; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011965:Receptors, Glucocorticoid; C411470:glucocorticoid receptor alpha; C121943:glucocorticoid receptor beta; D006854:Hydrocortisone