title: Effect of Chronic Restraint Stress on HPA Axis Activity and Expression of BDNF and Trkb in the Hippocampus of Pregnant Rats: Possible Contribution in Depression during Pregnancy and Postpartum Period.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) and its receptor, TrkB, in the hippocampus are targets for adverse effects of stress paradigms; in addition, BDNF and its receptor play key role in the pathology of brain diseases like depression. In the present study, we evaluated the possible role of hippocampal BDNF in depression during pregnancy.
  
  
  METHODS
  To achieve the purpose, repeated restrain stress (1 or 3 hours daily for 7 days) during the last week of pregnancy was used and alteration in the gene expression of hippocampal BDNF and TrkB evaluated by semi-quantitative PCR.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results showed that in stress group the level of ACTH and Corticosterone is increased showing that our model was efficient in inducing psychological stress; we also found that BDNF and TrkB expression are decreased in 3 hours stress group but not in 1 hour stress compared to control group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results imply that decrease in BDNF and its receptor could contribute in some adverse effects of stress during pregnancy such as elevation of depressive like behavior.
authors.affiliation: Neurobiology Research Center and Neuroscience Research Centre, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Nader
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Maghsoudi
authors.affiliation: Neurobiology Research Center and Neuroscience Research Centre, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Rasoul
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ghasemi
authors.affiliation: Reproductive Biotechnology Research Center, Avicenna Research Institute, ACECR, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Zahra
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Ghaempanah
authors.affiliation: Reproductive Biotechnology Research Center, Avicenna Research Institute, ACECR, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Ali M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Ardekani
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Faculty of Paramedical Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Elahe
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Nooshinfar
authors.affiliation: Food & Drug Organization, FDO, Tehran university of medical sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Abbas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tahzibi
keywords: ACTH; BDNF; Corticosterone; Depression; Semi-quantitative RT-PCR; Stress