title: Prior exposure to repeated immobilization or chronic unpredictable stress protects from some negative sequels of an acute immobilization.
abstract: Exposure to chronic unpredictable stress (CUS) is gaining acceptance as a putative animal model of depression. However, there is evidence that chronic exposure to stress can offer non-specific stress protection from some effects of acute superimposed stressors. We then compared in adult male rats the protection afforded by prior exposure to CUS with the one offered by repeated immobilization on boards (IMO) regarding some of the negative consequences of an acute exposure to IMO. Repeated exposure to IMO protected from the negative consequences of an acute IMO on activity in an open-field, saccharin intake and body weight gain. Active coping during IMO (struggling) was markedly reduced by repeated exposure to the same stressor, but it was not affected by a prior history of CUS, suggesting that our CUS protocol does not appear to impair active coping responses. CUS exposure itself caused a strong reduction of activity in the open-field but appeared to protect from the hypo-activity induced by acute IMO. Moreover, prior CUS offered partial protection from acute IMO-induced reduction of saccharin intake and body weight gain. It can be concluded that a prior history of CUS protects from some of the negative consequences of exposure to a novel severe stressor, suggesting the development of partial cross-adaptation whose precise mechanisms remain to be studied.
authors.affiliation: Institut de Neurociències and Red de Trastornos Adictivos (RTA), Unitat de Fisiologia Animal, Facultat de Biociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain.
authors.forename: Jordi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pastor-Ciurana
authors.affiliation: Institut de Neurociències and Red de Trastornos Adictivos (RTA), Unitat de Fisiologia Animal, Facultat de Biociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain.
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rabasa
authors.affiliation: Institut de Neurociències and Red de Trastornos Adictivos (RTA), Unitat de Fisiologia Animal, Facultat de Biociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain.
authors.forename: Juan A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Ortega-Sánchez
authors.affiliation: Institut de Neurociències and Red de Trastornos Adictivos (RTA), Unitat de Fisiologia Animal, Facultat de Biociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sanchís-Ollè
authors.affiliation: Institut de Neurociències and Red de Trastornos Adictivos (RTA), Unitat de Fisiologia Animal, Facultat de Biociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain.
authors.forename: Marina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gabriel-Salazar
authors.affiliation: Institut de Neurociències and Red de Trastornos Adictivos (RTA), Unitat de Fisiologia Animal, Facultat de Biociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain.
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ginesta
authors.affiliation: Institut de Neurociències and Red de Trastornos Adictivos (RTA), Unitat de Fisiologia Animal, Facultat de Biociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain.
authors.forename: Xavier
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Belda
authors.affiliation: Institut de Neurociències and Red de Trastornos Adictivos (RTA), Unitat de Fisiologia Animal, Facultat de Biociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain.
authors.forename: Núria
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Daviu
authors.affiliation: Unitat de Psicobiologia, Facultat de Psicologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain.
authors.forename: Roser
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nadal
authors.affiliation: Institut de Neurociències and Red de Trastornos Adictivos (RTA), Unitat de Fisiologia Animal, Facultat de Biociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain. Electronic address: antonio.armario@uab.es.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Armario
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight / Q000502:physiology; D004435:Eating / Q000502:physiology; D004597:Electroshock / Q000009:adverse effects; D005106:Exploratory Behavior / Q000502:physiology; D005518:Food Preferences; D007103:Immobilization / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012149:Restraint, Physical / Q000379:methods*; D012439:Saccharin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D013549:Sweetening Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D013549:Sweetening Agents; D012439:Saccharin
keywords: Chronic immobilization; Chronic unpredictable stress; Cross-adaptation; Food intake; Open-field; Saccharin preference