title: Behavioral coping strategies in response to social stress are associated with distinct neuroendocrine, monoaminergic and immune response profiles in mice.
abstract: Individual variation in behavioral coping strategies to stress implies that animals may have a distinct physiological adaptation to stress; these differences may underlie differences in vulnerability to stress-related diseases. This study was designed to test the hypothesis that different behavioral coping strategies (active vs. passive) are stable over time and that they would be associated with differences in hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) and sympathetic-adreno-medular (SAM) axes, and monoaminergic and immune activity. Male mice were subjected to social stress. Twelve days after the first social interaction, mice were subjected to a second identical social stress interaction. Behavior was videotaped and assessed during both sessions. One hour after the final social interaction, serum was collected for corticosterone and adrenaline concentrations and brains were collected for hypothalamic corticotrophin-releasing hormone (CRH) mRNA expression. Monoaminergic system activity was determined by mRNA expression of serotonin, dopamine and noradrenaline synthetic enzymes in the brain stem. Immune system activity was determined by mRNA expression of hypothalamic interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and splenic IL-1β and interleukin-2 (IL-2). Mice engaging in a passive strategy had higher serum corticosterone and lower serum adrenaline concentrations than the active group. The passive group showed lower hypothalamic mRNA expression of IL-1β and CRH and lower splenic mRNA expression of IL-2 and IL-1β relative to mice in the active group. An active strategy was associated with higher expression of the dopaminergic synthetic enzyme, while a passive strategy was associated with decreased expression of the serotonergic synthetic enzyme. These findings indicate that individual coping strategies are stable over time and are related to differences in the physiological stress response and immune activity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Basic Psychological Processes and their Development, Basque Country University, San Sebastian 20018, Spain.
authors.forename: Zurine
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: De Miguel
authors.forename: Oscar
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Vegas
authors.forename: Larraitz
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Garmendia
authors.forename: Amaia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Arregi
authors.forename: Garikoitz
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Beitia
authors.forename: Arantza
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Azpiroz
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D001933:Brain Stem / Q000378:metabolism; D003345:Corticosterone / Q000097:blood; D003346:Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000096:biosynthesis; D004296:Dopa Decarboxylase / Q000096:biosynthesis; D004299:Dopamine beta-Hydroxylase / Q000096:biosynthesis; D004837:Epinephrine / Q000097:blood; D007030:Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System / Q000378:metabolism*; D007031:Hypothalamus / Q000378:metabolism; D007206:Individuality; D053583:Interleukin-1beta / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D009490:Neurosecretory Systems / Q000378:metabolism*; D010913:Pituitary-Adrenal System / Q000378:metabolism*; D013154:Spleen / Q000378:metabolism; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D014365:Tryptophan Hydroxylase / Q000096:biosynthesis
chemical_list: D053583:Interleukin-1beta; D007376:Interleukin-2; D003346:Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone; C487802:Tph2 protein, mouse; D014365:Tryptophan Hydroxylase; D004299:Dopamine beta-Hydroxylase; D004296:Dopa Decarboxylase; D003345:Corticosterone; D004837:Epinephrine