title: Sex-specific chronic stress response at the level of adrenal gland modified sexual hormone and leptin receptors.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare cardiometabolic risk-related biochemical markers and sexual hormone and leptin receptors in the adrenal gland of rat males, non-ovariectomized females (NON-OVX), and ovariectomized females (OVX) under chronic stress.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty six 16-week-old Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into male, NON-OVX, and OVX group and exposed to chronic stress or kept as controls. Weight, glucose tolerance test (GTT), serum concentration of glucose, and cholesterol were measured. Adrenal glands were collected at the age of 28 weeks and immunohistochemical staining against estrogen beta (ERβ), progesterone (PR), testosterone (AR), and leptin (Ob-R) receptors was performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Body weight, GTT, serum cholesterol, and glucose changed in response to stress as expected and validated the applied stress protocol. Stressed males had significantly higher number of ERβ receptors in comparison to control group (P = 0.028). Stressed NON-OVX group had significantly decreased AR in comparison to control group (P = 0.007). The levels of PR did not change in any consistent pattern. The levels of Ob-R increased upon stress in all groups, but the significant difference was reached only in the case of stressed OVX group compared to control (P = 0.033).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Chronic stress response was sex specific. OVX females had similar biochemical parameters as males. Changes upon chronic stress in adrenal gland were related to an increase in testosterone receptor in females and decrease in estrogen receptor in males.
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Balog
authors.forename: Milan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Miljanović
authors.forename: Senka
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Blažetić
authors.forename: Irena
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Labak
authors.forename: Vedrana
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Ivić
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Viljetić
authors.forename: Attila
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Borbely
authors.forename: Zoltán
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Papp
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Blažeković
authors.forename: Sandor G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Vari
authors.forename: Miklós
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fagyas
authors.affiliation: Marija Heffer, J. J. Strossmayer University of Osijek, Faculty of Medicine Osijek, Department of Medical Biology and Genetics, Josipa Huttlera 4, 31000 Osijek, Croatia, mheffer@mefos.hr.
authors.forename: Marija
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Heffer
mesh_terms: D000311:Adrenal Glands / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D001835:Body Weight / Q000502:physiology; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D047629:Estrogen Receptor beta / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D005951:Glucose Tolerance Test; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D010052:Ovariectomy; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D011944:Receptors, Androgen / Q000378:metabolism*; D054411:Receptors, Leptin / Q000378:metabolism*; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone / Q000378:metabolism*; D012737:Sex Factors; D013312:Stress, Physiological
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D047629:Estrogen Receptor beta; D011944:Receptors, Androgen; D054411:Receptors, Leptin; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone; D002784:Cholesterol