Behavioral differences of male Wistar rats from different vendors in vulnerability and resilience to chronic mild stress are reflected in epigenetic regulation and expression of p11.
Outbred rat lines such as Wistar rats are commonly used for models of depressive disorders. Such rats arise from random mating schedules. Hence, genetic drift occurs in outbred populations which could lead to genotypic and phenotypic heterogeneity between rats from different vendors. Additionally, vendor specific rearing conditions could contribute to intrastrain variability. In the present study differences in behavioral responses to the chronic mild stress (CMS) model of depression within Wistar rat strains from different vendors are described. DNA methylation studies and mRNA expression analysis of p11 revealed that the behavioral differences between the substrains are reflected at the epigenetic and genetic level. The results suggest that there are breeder-dependent differences in vulnerability to stress in the CMS model of depression, which might bear on the validity of the model and contribute to contradictory findings and difficulties of replication between laboratories. P11 mRNA expression seems to be differently regulated depending on the quality of the stress response evoked by CMS exposure.
Neuroscience Center, University of Helsinki, Finland; Center for Systems Neuroscience, Hannover, Germany.
Wiebke
W
Theilmann
Department of Psychiatry, Social Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical School Hannover, Germany.
Alexandra
A
Kleimann
Department of Psychiatry, Social Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical School Hannover, Germany.
Mathias
M
Rhein
Department of Psychiatry, Social Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical School Hannover, Germany; Center for Systems Neuroscience, Hannover, Germany.
Stefan
S
Bleich
Department of Psychiatry, Social Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical School Hannover, Germany; Center for Systems Neuroscience, Hannover, Germany.
Helge
H
Frieling
Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology, and Pharmacy, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Germany; Center for Systems Neuroscience, Hannover, Germany.
Wolfgang
W
Löscher
Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology, and Pharmacy, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Germany; Center for Systems Neuroscience, Hannover, Germany. Electronic address: claudia.brandt@tiho-hannover.de.
Claudia
C
Brandt
D000818:Animals; D021461:Animals, Outbred Strains; D017306:Annexin A2 / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D035843:Biomedical Research / Q000191:economics; D003132:Commerce; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000235:genetics / Q000503:physiopathology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic; D040961:Genetic Drift; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000378:metabolism; D007221:Industry; D008297:Male; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000378:metabolism; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D017208:Rats, Wistar / Q000235:genetics / Q000523:psychology; D009418:S100 Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D013045:Species Specificity; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000235:genetics* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D000099248:S100 Calcium Binding Protein A10
D017306:Annexin A2; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D009418:S100 Proteins; D000099248:S100 Calcium Binding Protein A10
Breeder; Chronic mild stress; Depression; P11; Rat strain; Vendor; Wistar