title: Systematic correlation between spine plasticity and the anxiety/depression-like phenotype induced by corticosterone in mice.
abstract: Unraveling the pathophysiological basis for the development of and recovery from depression is a unique challenge. Dendritic plasticity has been reported to be involved in the development of depression. We modeled an anxiety/depression-like phenotype by chronic corticosterone exposure in mice and reversed this anxiety/depression-like phenotype by long-term treatment with fluoxetine (FLX). Spine density in the hippocampus was detected by Golgi-Cox staining at five time points. The data showed that 35 days of corticosterone exposure led to a decrease in spine density in CA1, concomitant with the onset of depression. Following 25 days of treatment with FLX, the decrease in both the dendritic spine density in the hippocampus and the anxiety/depression-like phenotype induced by chronic corticosterone recovered to normal levels concomitantly. Interestingly, the total spine density changes are all mainly driven by changes in thin and stubby spines, not mushroom spines, following chronic corticosterone or FLX treatment. Our results suggest that the changes in dendritic spine density in the hippocampus may be one of the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying the development of and recovery from depression, and the neuronal plasticity of CA1 is first impaired during the development of depression.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Guohua
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Yufang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: Meifang
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gong
authors.forename: Baofang
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.forename: Mingzi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Yupin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Cong
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.forename: Jiangping
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Xu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D056547:CA1 Region, Hippocampal / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D003345:Corticosterone / Q000633:toxicity; D049229:Dendritic Spines / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology*; D003863:Depression / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D005473:Fluoxetine / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D010641:Phenotype
chemical_list: D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D005473:Fluoxetine; D003345:Corticosterone