title: Effects of dominant/subordinate social status on formalin-induced pain and changes in serum proinflammatory cytokine concentrations in mice.
abstract: Current investigations regarding social stress primarily focus on the health consequences of being in stressful social hierarchies. The repetitive nature of social conflicts seems to favor an induction of hyperalgesia or hypoalgesia, both in rodents and humans. Additionally, social conflicts may affect the immune system. In order to better establish the pain and immune responses to stress, the present study implemented a sensory contact model on 32 male BALB/c mice. Subsequent to establishing a dominance/submissive social relationship, each mouse was injected with formalin (20 μl, 2%) and their pain behavior was scored and serum concentrations of proinflammatory cytokines IL-1 and IL-6, and corticosterone were also measured. Test results revealed that subordinate mice were hypoalgesic during chronic phase of formalin test compared to control and dominant mice (P<0.05). On the other hand, subordinate mice were hyperalgesic compared to dominant mice during the whole acute phase of formalin test (P<0.05). Corticosterone, IL-1 and IL-6 concentrations were much higher in serum of dominant and subordinate mice than in the control group (p<0.05). The results indicated that, although both dominant and subordinate animals displayed an increase in serum corticosterone and proinflammatory cytokines during social interactions, their response to pain perception differently was affected with the social status.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Shahed University, Tehran, Iran ; Equity and Health research Department, Shahed University, Tehran, Iran ; Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tehran Medical University, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Marjan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Aghajani
authors.forename: Mohammad Reza
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Vaez Mahdavi
authors.forename: Mohsen
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Khalili Najafabadi
authors.forename: Tooba
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ghazanfari
authors.forename: Armin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Azimi
authors.forename: Saeid
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Arbab Soleymani
authors.forename: Shirin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mahdi Dust
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight; D003345:Corticosterone / Q000097:blood; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004291:Dominance-Subordination; D005557:Formaldehyde; D018836:Inflammation Mediators / Q000097:blood*; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000097:blood*; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D010146:Pain / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications
chemical_list: D018836:Inflammation Mediators; D007375:Interleukin-1; D015850:Interleukin-6; D005557:Formaldehyde; D003345:Corticosterone