title: Temporal changes of the adrenal endocrine system in a restraint stressed mouse and possibility of postmortem indicators of prolonged psychological stress.
abstract: We investigated temporal changes of adrenal endocrine systems through the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) and sympathetic-adrenomedullary (SA) axis in restraint stressed mice. Restraint stress for 1 day to 3 weeks caused a significant increase in serum levels of ACTH and glucocorticoids accompanied with an increase in adrenal weights, indicating activation of the HPA axis. Reflecting the overproduction of glucocorticoids, adrenal cholesterol content decreased. Moreover, adrenal gene expression involved in cholesterol supply, including scavenger receptor-class B type I, HMG-CoA reductase, and hormone-sensitive lipase, was increased over the same period. After 4 weeks stress, all of these changes returned to control levels. In contrast, adrenal gene expression of chromogranin A, which is cosecreted with catecholamine via the SA axis, was increased with 1 day to 2 weeks of stress, and decreased with 3-4 weeks of stress. Our results suggest that analyses of adrenal endocrine systems based on the combination of several markers examined here would be useful for not only proving prolonged psychological stress experience but also determining its duration.
authors.affiliation: Department of Legal Medicine, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Kagoshima University, 8-35-1 Sakuragaoka, Kagoshima 890-8544, Japan. Electronic address: takahito@m2.kufm.kagoshima-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Takahito
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hayashi
authors.affiliation: Division of Forensic Pathology and Science, Unit of Social Medicine, Course of Medical and Dental Sciences, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University School of Medicine, 1-12-4 Sakamoto, Nagasaki City, Nagasaki 852-8523, Japan.
authors.forename: Kazuya
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ikematsu
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, Nagasaki University, 1-12-4 Sakamoto, Nagasaki City, Nagasaki 852-8523, Japan.
authors.forename: Yuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Abe
authors.affiliation: Department of Forensic Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, University of the Ryukyus, 207 Uehara, Nishihara, Okinawa 903-0215, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ihama
authors.affiliation: Department of Legal Medicine, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Kagoshima University, 8-35-1 Sakuragaoka, Kagoshima 890-8544, Japan.
authors.forename: Kazutoshi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ago
authors.affiliation: Department of Legal Medicine, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Kagoshima University, 8-35-1 Sakuragaoka, Kagoshima 890-8544, Japan.
authors.forename: Mihoko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ago
authors.affiliation: Department of Forensic Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, University of the Ryukyus, 207 Uehara, Nishihara, Okinawa 903-0215, Japan.
authors.forename: Tetsuji
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Miyazaki
authors.affiliation: Department of Legal Medicine, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Kagoshima University, 8-35-1 Sakuragaoka, Kagoshima 890-8544, Japan.
authors.forename: Mamoru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ogata
mesh_terms: D000311:Adrenal Glands / Q000473:pathology; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone / Q000097:blood*; D000818:Animals; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D007030:Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D009929:Organ Size; D010913:Pituitary-Adrenal System / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012149:Restraint, Physical / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology*; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000502:physiology*; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone
keywords: Adrenal endocrine systems; Practical application; Prolonged psychological stress; Restraint stress; Temporal changes