title: Expression of Melanocortin-4 Receptor mRNA in Male Rat Hypothalamus During Chronic Stress.
abstract: The effects of chronic stress and glucocorticoids receptor antagonist (RU486) on expression of melanocortin 4 receptor (MC4R) mRNA in arcuate nucleus (ARC) of male rats were evaluated. In this study, adult male Sprague Dawley rats were placed into four groups (n=6/group); stress, RU486, stress/RU486, and control groups. In stress group, the rats were restrained, 1 h/day, for 12 days. In RU486 group, the rats were injected RU486 for 12 days. In stress/RU486 group, the rats were injected RU486 1 h before the stress process for 12 days. Relative expression of MC4R mRNA was determined using real-time PCR. Relative expression of MC4R mRNA in the stress group was higher than that of the control rats (P<0.05). Relative expressions of MC4R mRNA were not different between the stress, RU486 and stress/RU486 groups (P>0.05). Chronic restraint stress causes increase in mRNA expression of MC4R in ARC and blockade of glucocorticoid receptors has no effect on this up-regulation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Basic Sciences, Azad University, Gachsaran Branch, Gachsaran, Iran.
authors.forename: Maryam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Karami Kheirabad
authors.affiliation: Infertility Research Center, Department of OB-GYN, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
authors.forename: Bahia
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Namavar Jahromi
authors.affiliation: Transgenic Technology Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
authors.forename: Amin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tamadon
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Advanced Medical Sciences and Technology, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran. ; Institute of Cancer Research, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
authors.forename: Amin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ramezani
authors.affiliation: Infertility Research Center, Department of OB-GYN, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
authors.forename: Somayeh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ahmadloo
authors.affiliation: Infertility Research Center, Department of OB-GYN, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
authors.forename: Fatemeh
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sabet Sarvestan
authors.affiliation: Laboratory Animal Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
authors.forename: Omid
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Koohi-Hosseinabadi
keywords: Chronic stress; hypothalamus; melanocortin 4 receptor (MC4R); rats