title: Chlorella vulgaris reduces the impact of stress on hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and brain c-fos expression.
abstract: Predominantly emotional stressors activate a wide range of brain areas, as revealed by the expression of immediate early genes, such as c-fos. Chlorella vulgaris (CV) is considered a biological response modifier, as demonstrated by its protective activities against infections, tumors and stress. We evaluated the effect of acute pretreatment with CV on the peripheral and central responses to forced swimming stress in adult male rats. Pretreatment with CV produced a significant reduction of stress-related hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal activation, demonstrated by decreased corticotrophin releasing factor gene expression in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN) and lower ACTH response. Hyperglycemia induced by the stressor was similarly reduced. This attenuated neuroendocrine response to stress occurred in parallel with a diminished c-fos expression in most evaluated areas, including the PVN. The data presented in this study reinforce the usefulness of CV to diminish the impact of stressors, by reducing the HPA response. Although our results suggest a central effect of CV, further studies are necessary to understand the precise mechanisms underpinning this effect.
authors.affiliation: Institut de Neurociències and 'Red de Trastornos Adictivos' (RTA, Institute of Health Carlos III), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain; Neuroimmunomodulation research group, Department of Pathology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Souza Queiroz
authors.affiliation: Institut de Neurociències and 'Red de Trastornos Adictivos' (RTA, Institute of Health Carlos III), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain.
authors.forename: Ignacio
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Marín Blasco
authors.affiliation: Institut de Neurociències and 'Red de Trastornos Adictivos' (RTA, Institute of Health Carlos III), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain.
authors.forename: Humberto
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Gagliano
authors.affiliation: Institut de Neurociències and 'Red de Trastornos Adictivos' (RTA, Institute of Health Carlos III), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain.
authors.forename: Nuria
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Daviu
authors.affiliation: Institut de Neurociències and 'Red de Trastornos Adictivos' (RTA, Institute of Health Carlos III), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain.
authors.forename: Almudena
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gómez Román
authors.affiliation: Institut de Neurociències and 'Red de Trastornos Adictivos' (RTA, Institute of Health Carlos III), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain.
authors.forename: Xavier
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Belda
authors.affiliation: Institut de Neurociències and 'Red de Trastornos Adictivos' (RTA, Institute of Health Carlos III), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain.
authors.forename: Javier
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Carrasco
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Farmacogenomics, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Universidade Federal de Goiás-UFG-Campus Jatai, Jataí-GO, Brazil.
authors.forename: Michelle C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Rocha
authors.affiliation: Neuroimmunomodulation research group, Department of Pathology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: João
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Palermo Neto
authors.affiliation: Institut de Neurociències and 'Red de Trastornos Adictivos' (RTA, Institute of Health Carlos III), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain. Electronic address: antonio.armario@uab.es.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Armario
mesh_terms: D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D048408:Chlorella vulgaris; D003345:Corticosterone / Q000378:metabolism; D003346:Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D016762:Genes, fos; D007030:Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D007031:Hypothalamus / Q000378:metabolism; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D008297:Male; D010286:Paraventricular Hypothalamic Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism; D010913:Pituitary-Adrenal System / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000502:physiology*; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D013550:Swimming
chemical_list: D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone; D003346:Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone; D003345:Corticosterone
keywords: ACTH; Chlorella vulgaris; Corticosterone; Corticotropin-releasing factor; Forced swimming; Glucose