title: Telomere length and telomere repeating factors: Cellular markers for post-traumatic stress disorder-like model.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the present study was to explore the telomere length of peripheral blood leukocytes from a rat model of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), as well as the expression level of telomere-binding protein in the hippocampal CA1 region.
  
  
  METHODS
  The PTSD model was established with 42 adult male Wistar rats. The relative telomere length of the leukocytes was measured by real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction, and the expression levels of telomere repeating factor 1 (TRF1) and telomere repeating factor 2 (TRF2) in the hippocampal CA1 region of the PTSD rat model were determined by immunofluorescence technology. The covariance analysis of repeated measurements by the mixed model approach was used for the telomere length analysis. The comparison of averaged data among groups was performed using least significant difference and analysis of variance. The Student's t test or the Mann-Whitney U test was used for intragroup comparison. The association study among groups was conducted using the Spearman test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The shortening speed of telomere length significantly accelerated in rats after Single Prolonged Stress (SPS) stimulation (P<0.05). The expression levels of TRF1 and TRF2 increased with the progress of PTSD, and the expression peak was shown in day 14, which was significantly different from the control group (P<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The shortening speed of the telomere length of peripheral blood leukocytes accelerated in PTSD rats, and the expression levels of TRF1 and TRF2 increased in hippocampus, both of which were closely associated with the pathological progress of the PTSD-like model and unfavorable prognosis.
authors.affiliation: Medical school of Shihezi University, Shihezi, the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region 832000, China.
authors.forename: Yuanjun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology Rehabilitation, the First Affiliated Hospital of the Medical College, Shihezi University, Shihezi, Xinjiang, China. Electronic address: firstli@126.com.
authors.forename: Guiqing
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Medical school of Shihezi University, Shihezi, the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region 832000, China.
authors.forename: Xiuyu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology Rehabilitation, the First Affiliated Hospital of the Medical College, Shihezi University, Shihezi, Xinjiang, China.
authors.forename: Yueqi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology Rehabilitation, the First Affiliated Hospital of the Medical College, Shihezi University, Shihezi, Xinjiang, China.
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D056547:CA1 Region, Hippocampal / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005819:Genetic Markers; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000235:genetics*; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology; D013550:Swimming / Q000523:psychology; D035182:TATA Box Binding Protein-Like Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D016615:Telomere / Q000235:genetics* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D059506:Telomere Shortening / Q000235:genetics*; D034501:Telomere-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D035321:Telomeric Repeat Binding Protein 1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D005819:Genetic Markers; D035182:TATA Box Binding Protein-Like Proteins; C579806:TATA box-binding protein-related factor 2, rat; D034501:Telomere-Binding Proteins; D035321:Telomeric Repeat Binding Protein 1
keywords: Hippocampus; Post-traumatic stress disorder; Telomere length; Telomere-binding protein