Pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) increases corticosterone in male and female rats.
Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) in the genes for pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) and the PAC1 receptor have been associated with several psychiatric disorders whose etiology has been associated with stressor exposure and/or dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. In rats, exposure to repeated variate stress has been shown to increase PACAP and its cognate PAC1 receptor expression in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST), a brain region implicated in anxiety and depression-related behaviors as well as the regulation of HPA axis activity. We have argued that changes in BNST PACAP signaling may mediate the changes in emotional behavior and dysregulation of the HPA axis associated with anxiety and mood disorders. The current set of studies was designed to determine whether BNST PACAP infusion leads to activation of the HPA axis as determined by increases in plasma corticosterone. We observed an increase in plasma corticosterone levels 30min following BNST PACAP38 infusion in male and female rats, which was independent of estradiol (E2) treatment in females, and we found that plasma corticosterone levels were increased at both 30min and 60min, but returned to baseline levels 4h following the highest dose. PACAP38 infusion into the lateral ventricles immediately above the BNST did not alter plasma corticosterone level, and the increased plasma corticosterone following BNST PACAP was not blocked by BNST corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH) receptor antagonism. These results support others suggesting that BNST PACAP plays a key role in regulating stress responses.
Department of Psychology, University of Vermont, 2 Colchester Avenue, Burlington, VT 05405, United States.
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Lezak
Department of Psychology, University of Vermont, 2 Colchester Avenue, Burlington, VT 05405, United States.
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Roelke
Department of Psychology, University of Vermont, 2 Colchester Avenue, Burlington, VT 05405, United States.
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Harris
Department of Psychology, University of Vermont, 2 Colchester Avenue, Burlington, VT 05405, United States; Department of Neurological Sciences, University of Vermont College of Medicine, 89 Beaumont Avenue, Burlington, VT 05405, United States.
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Choi
Department of Psychology, University of Vermont, 2 Colchester Avenue, Burlington, VT 05405, United States; Department of Neurological Sciences, University of Vermont College of Medicine, 89 Beaumont Avenue, Burlington, VT 05405, United States.
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Edwards
Department of Psychology, University of Vermont, 2 Colchester Avenue, Burlington, VT 05405, United States; Department of Neurological Sciences, University of Vermont College of Medicine, 89 Beaumont Avenue, Burlington, VT 05405, United States.
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Gick
Department of Psychology, University of Vermont, 2 Colchester Avenue, Burlington, VT 05405, United States.
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Cocchiaro
Department of Neurological Sciences, University of Vermont College of Medicine, 89 Beaumont Avenue, Burlington, VT 05405, United States.
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Missig
Department of Neurological Sciences, University of Vermont College of Medicine, 89 Beaumont Avenue, Burlington, VT 05405, United States.
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Roman
Department of Neurological Sciences, University of Vermont College of Medicine, 89 Beaumont Avenue, Burlington, VT 05405, United States.
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Braas
Department of Psychology, University of Vermont, 2 Colchester Avenue, Burlington, VT 05405, United States.
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Toufexis
Department of Neurological Sciences, University of Vermont College of Medicine, 89 Beaumont Avenue, Burlington, VT 05405, United States.
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May
Department of Psychology, University of Vermont, 2 Colchester Avenue, Burlington, VT 05405, United States. Electronic address: shammack@uvm.edu.
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Hammack
D000818:Animals; D003345:Corticosterone / Q000097:blood*; D003346:Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D057967:Infusions, Intraventricular; D008297:Male; D051219:Pituitary Adenylate Cyclase-Activating Polypeptide / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D018019:Receptors, Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000378:metabolism; D012686:Septal Nuclei / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D015854:Up-Regulation / Q000187:drug effects
D051219:Pituitary Adenylate Cyclase-Activating Polypeptide; D018019:Receptors, Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone; D003346:Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone; D003345:Corticosterone
Anxiety; Corticotropin-releasing factor; Corticotropin-releasing hormone; Cortisol; Estradiol; Estrogen; Extended amygdala; Glucocorticoids; HPA axis; Stress