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Li HP, Cheng HL, Ding K, Zhang Y, Gao F, Zhu G, Zhang Z. New recognition of the heart-brain axis and its implication in the pathogenesis and treatment of PTSD. Eur J Neurosci 2024; 60:4661-4683. [PMID: 39044332 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.16445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2024] [Accepted: 06/04/2024] [Indexed: 07/25/2024]
Abstract
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a complex psychological disorder provoked by distressing experiences, and it remains without highly effective intervention strategies. The exploration of PTSD's underlying mechanisms is crucial for advancing diagnostic and therapeutic approaches. Current studies primarily explore PTSD through the lens of the central nervous system, investigating concrete molecular alterations in the cerebral area and neural circuit irregularities. However, the body's response to external stressors, particularly the changes in cardiovascular function, is often pronounced, evidenced by notable cardiac dysfunction. Consequently, examining PTSD with a focus on cardiac function is vital for the early prevention and targeted management of the disorder. This review undertakes a comprehensive literature analysis to detail the alterations in brain and heart structures and functions associated with PTSD. It also synthesizes potential mechanisms of heart-brain axis interactions relevant to the development of PTSD. Ultimately, by considering cardiac function, this review proposes novel perspectives for PTSD's prophylaxis and therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hai-Peng Li
- Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, China
| | - Hong-Liang Cheng
- The Affiliated Hospital of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, Anhui Province, China
| | - Keke Ding
- Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, China
| | - Yang Zhang
- Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, China
| | - Fang Gao
- Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, China
| | - Guoqi Zhu
- Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, China
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Kong CH, Lee JW, Jeon M, Kang WC, Kim MS, Park K, Bae HJ, Park SJ, Jung SY, Kim SN, Kleinfelter B, Kim JW, Ryu JH. D-Pinitol mitigates post-traumatic stress disorder-like behaviors induced by single prolonged stress in mice through mineralocorticoid receptor antagonism. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2024; 132:110990. [PMID: 38467326 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2024.110990] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2023] [Revised: 02/24/2024] [Accepted: 03/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/13/2024]
Abstract
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental illness that can occur in individuals who have experienced trauma. Current treatments for PTSD, typically serotonin reuptake inhibitors, have limited effectiveness for patients and often cause serious adverse effects. Therefore, a novel class of treatment with better pharmacological profile is necessary. D-Pinitol has been reported to be effective for depression and anxiety disorders, but there are no reports associated with PTSD. In the present study, we investigated the effects of D-pinitol in a mouse model of PTSD induced by a single prolonged stress (SPS) protocol. We examined the therapeutic effects of D-pinitol on emotional and cognitive impairments in the SPS mouse model. We also investigated the effects of D-pinitol on fear memory formation. Mineralocorticoid receptor transactivation assay, Western blot, and quantitative PCR were employed to investigate how D-pinitol exerts its pharmacological activities. D-Pinitol ameliorated PTSD-like behaviors in a SPS mouse model. D-Pinitol also normalized the increased mRNA expression levels and protein levels of the mineralocorticoid receptor in the amygdala. A mineralocorticoid receptor agonist reversed the effects of D-pinitol on fear extinction and recall, and the antagonistic property of D-pinitol against the mineralocorticoid receptor was confirmed in vitro. Our findings suggest that D-pinitol could serve as a potential therapeutic agent for PTSD due to its antagonistic effect on the mineralocorticoid receptor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chang Hyeon Kong
- Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 02447, Republic of Korea
| | - Jin Woo Lee
- Natural Products Research Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Gangneung-si 25451, Republic of Korea
| | - Mijin Jeon
- Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 02447, Republic of Korea
| | - Woo Chang Kang
- Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 02447, Republic of Korea
| | - Min Seo Kim
- Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 02447, Republic of Korea
| | - Keontae Park
- Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 02447, Republic of Korea
| | - Ho Jung Bae
- Agriculture and Life Science Research Institute, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 24341, Republic of Korea
| | - Se Jin Park
- School of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 24341, Republic of Korea
| | - Seo Yun Jung
- Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 02447, Republic of Korea
| | - Su-Nam Kim
- Natural Products Research Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Gangneung-si 25451, Republic of Korea
| | - Benjamin Kleinfelter
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37240, United States of America
| | - Ji-Woon Kim
- Department of Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Kyung Hee Univeristy, Seoul 02447, Republic of Korea.
| | - Jong Hoon Ryu
- Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 02447, Republic of Korea; Department of Oriental Pharmaceutical Science, College of Pharmacy, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 02447, Republic of Korea.
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Skolariki K, Vrahatis AG, Krokidis MG, Exarchos TP, Vlamos P. Assessing and Modelling of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Using Molecular and Functional Biomarkers. BIOLOGY 2023; 12:1050. [PMID: 37626936 PMCID: PMC10451531 DOI: 10.3390/biology12081050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2023] [Revised: 07/03/2023] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023]
Abstract
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a complex psychological disorder that develops following exposure to traumatic events. PTSD is influenced by catalytic factors such as dysregulated hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, neurotransmitter imbalances, and oxidative stress. Genetic variations may act as important catalysts, impacting neurochemical signaling, synaptic plasticity, and stress response systems. Understanding the intricate gene networks and their interactions is vital for comprehending the underlying mechanisms of PTSD. Focusing on the catalytic factors of PTSD is essential because they provide valuable insights into the underlying mechanisms of the disorder. By understanding these factors and their interplay, researchers may uncover potential targets for interventions and therapies, leading to more effective and personalized treatments for individuals with PTSD. The aforementioned gene networks, composed of specific genes associated with the disorder, provide a comprehensive view of the molecular pathways and regulatory mechanisms involved in PTSD. Through this study valuable insights into the disorder's underlying mechanisms and opening avenues for effective treatments, personalized interventions, and the development of biomarkers for early detection and monitoring are provided.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Marios G. Krokidis
- Bioinformatics and Human Electrophysiology Laboratory, Department of Informatics, Ionian University, 49100 Corfu, Greece; (K.S.); (A.G.V.); (T.P.E.); (P.V.)
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On making (and turning adaptive to) maladaptive aversive memories in laboratory rodents. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 147:105101. [PMID: 36804263 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2022] [Revised: 02/03/2023] [Accepted: 02/14/2023] [Indexed: 02/18/2023]
Abstract
Fear conditioning and avoidance tasks usually elicit adaptive aversive memories. Traumatic memories are more intense, generalized, inflexible, and resistant to attenuation via extinction- and reconsolidation-based strategies. Inducing and assessing these dysfunctional, maladaptive features in the laboratory are crucial to interrogating posttraumatic stress disorder's neurobiology and exploring innovative treatments. Here we analyze over 350 studies addressing this question in adult rats and mice. There is a growing interest in modeling several qualitative and quantitative memory changes by exposing already stressed animals to freezing- and avoidance-related tests or using a relatively high aversive training magnitude. Other options combine aversive/fearful tasks with post-acquisition or post-retrieval administration of one or more drugs provoking neurochemical or epigenetic alterations reported in the trauma aftermath. It is potentially instructive to integrate these procedures and incorporate the measurement of autonomic and endocrine parameters. Factors to consider when defining the organismic and procedural variables, partially neglected aspects (sex-dependent differences and recent vs. remote data comparison) and suggestions for future research (identifying reliable individual risk and treatment-response predictors) are discussed.
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Stopyra MA, Simon JJ, Rheude C, Nikendei C. Pathophysiological aspects of complex PTSD - a neurobiological account in comparison to classic posttraumatic stress disorder and borderline personality disorder. Rev Neurosci 2023; 34:103-128. [PMID: 35938987 DOI: 10.1515/revneuro-2022-0014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2022] [Accepted: 06/25/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Despite a great diagnostic overlap, complex posttraumatic stress disorder (CPTSD) has been recognised by the ICD-11 as a new, discrete entity and recent empirical evidence points towards a distinction from simple posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and borderline personality disorder (BPD). The development and maintenance of these disorders is sustained by neurobiological alterations and studies using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) may further contribute to a clear differentiation of CPTSD, PTSD and BPD. However, there are no existing fMRI studies directly comparing CPTSD, PTSD and BPD. In addition to a summarization of diagnostic differences and similarities, the current review aims to provide a qualitative comparison of neuroimaging findings on affective, attentional and memory processing in CPTSD, PTSD and BPD. Our narrative review alludes to an imbalance in limbic-frontal brain networks, which may be partially trans-diagnostically linked to the degree of trauma symptoms and their expression. Thus, CPTSD, PTSD and BPD may underlie a continuum where similar brain regions are involved but the direction of activation may constitute its distinct symptom expression. The neuronal alterations across these disorders may conceivably be better understood along a symptom-based continuum underlying CPTSD, PTSD and BPD. Further research is needed to amend for the heterogeneity in experimental paradigms and sample criteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marion A Stopyra
- Department of General Internal Medicine and Psychosomatics, Centre for Psychosocial Medicine, University Hospital Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 410, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Joe J Simon
- Department of General Internal Medicine and Psychosomatics, Centre for Psychosocial Medicine, University Hospital Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 410, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Christiane Rheude
- Department of General Internal Medicine and Psychosomatics, Centre for Psychosocial Medicine, University Hospital Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 410, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Christoph Nikendei
- Department of General Internal Medicine and Psychosomatics, Centre for Psychosocial Medicine, University Hospital Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 410, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
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Lushchak O, Strilbytska O, Koliada A, Storey KB. An orchestrating role of mitochondria in the origin and development of post-traumatic stress disorder. Front Physiol 2023; 13:1094076. [PMID: 36703926 PMCID: PMC9871262 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2022.1094076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2022] [Accepted: 12/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is one of the most discussed and actively researched areas in medicine, psychiatry, neurophysiology, biochemistry and rehabilitation over the last decades. Multiple causes can trigger post-traumatic stress disorder. Humans subjected to violence, participants in hostilities, victims of terrorist attacks, physical or psychological persecution, witnessing scenes of cruelty, survival of natural disasters, and more, can strongly affect both children and adults. Pathological features of post-traumatic stress disorder that are manifested at molecular, cellular and whole-organism levels must be clearly understood for successful diagnosis, management, and minimizing of long-term outcomes associated with post-traumatic stress disorder. This article summarizes existing data on different post-traumatic stress disorder causes and symptoms, as well as effects on homeostasis, genetic instability, behavior, neurohumoral balance, and personal psychic stability. In particular, we highlight a key role of mitochondria and oxidative stress development in the severity and treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder. Excessive or prolonged exposure to traumatic factors can cause irreversible mitochondrial damage, leading to cell death. This review underlines the exceptional importance of data integration about the mechanisms and functions of the mitochondrial stress response to develop a three-dimensional picture of post-traumatic stress disorder pathophysiology and develop a comprehensive, universal, multifaceted, and effective strategy of managing or treatment post-traumatic stress disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oleh Lushchak
- Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Vasyl Stefanyk Precarpathian National University, Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine,Research and Development University, Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine,*Correspondence: Oleh Lushchak,
| | - Olha Strilbytska
- Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Vasyl Stefanyk Precarpathian National University, Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine
| | - Alexander Koliada
- Institute of Food Biotechnology and Genomics, NAS of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine
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Latour E, Arlet J, Latour E, Latour M, Basta P, Skarpańska-Stejnborn A. Stressor-Induced Temporal Cortisol Deficiency as a Primary Trigger for Adaptation to Stress. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:5633. [PMID: 35565026 PMCID: PMC9102777 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19095633] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2022] [Revised: 04/28/2022] [Accepted: 05/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Inconsistencies in measurements of cortisol response to stress have caused disagreements in the direction of the change in cortisol concentrations immediately after the onset of stress. Researchers typically observe increased cortisol levels in response to a stressor, perceiving occasional decreases as a sign of possible disorders. Reports indicate the relative ease of standardizing a physical stressor compared with a mental stressor, and cross-stressor adaptation is observable only in elite athletes. METHODS We investigated the cortisol response to top-intensity physical exertion by analyzing the course of the cortisol response, the changes in this response resulting from adaptation to intense exercise, and the possible convergence between the cortisol changes and body fat content. We examined 16 male athletes, members of the Polish National Rowing Team, competing in the World Rowing Championships, in top form, of an average training experience of seven years. The measurements were performed before and after the training camp preparatory to the Championships. We performed the measurements before and after the training camp preparatory to the Championships. RESULTS Before the camp, the athletes consistently reacted to the exertion test with a decrease in cortisol concentration and elevated cortisol levels after rest compared with baseline. After the camp, the post-exertion cortisol decrease as well as the post-rest cortisol elevation was much smaller and less consistent. CONCLUSIONS The transient decrease in cortisol concentration at the onset of stress thus represents a physiological reaction, and the stress response counteracts the resulting cortisol deficiency to support cortisol availability during stress. Adaptation to stress enhanced this counteracting effect by (1) increasing the baseline cortisol concentration and (2) speeding up the response to its decline. This enhanced effect was boosted by adipose tissue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ewa Latour
- Faculty of Physical Culture in Gorzów Wlkp., Poznan University of Physical Education, Ul. Estkowskiego 13, 66-400 Gorzów Wielkopolski, Poland; (J.A.); (E.L.); (M.L.); (P.B.); (A.S.-S.)
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Tseilikman V, Lapshin M, Klebanov I, Chrousos G, Vasilieva M, Pashkov A, Fedotova J, Tseilikman D, Shatilov V, Manukhina E, Tseilikman O, Sarapultsev A, Downey HF. The Link between Activities of Hepatic 11beta-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase-1 and Monoamine Oxidase-A in the Brain Following Repeated Predator Stress: Focus on Heightened Anxiety. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23094881. [PMID: 35563271 PMCID: PMC9102549 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23094881] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2022] [Revised: 04/25/2022] [Accepted: 04/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
We investigated the presence of a molecular pathway from hepatic 11-βHSD-1 to brain MAO-A in the dynamics of plasma corticosterone involvement in anxiety development. During 14 days following repeated exposure of rats to predator scent stress for 10 days, the following variables were measured: hepatic 11-βHSD-1 and brain MAO-A activities, brain norepinephrine, plasma corticosterone concentrations, and anxiety, as reflected by performance on an elevated plus maze. Anxiety briefly decreased and then increased after stress exposure. This behavioral response correlated inversely with plasma corticosterone and with brain MAO-A activity. A mathematical model described the dynamics of the biochemical variables and predicted the factor(s) responsible for the development and dynamics of anxiety. In the model, hepatic 11-βHSD-1 was considered a key factor in defining the dynamics of plasma corticosterone. In turn, plasma corticosterone and oxidation of brain ketodienes and conjugated trienes determined the dynamics of brain MAO-A activity, and MAO-A activity determined the dynamics of brain norepinephrine. Finally, plasma corticosterone was modeled as the determinant of anxiety. Solution of the model equations demonstrated that plasma corticosterone is mainly determined by the activity of hepatic 11-βHSD-1 and, most importantly, that corticosterone plays a critical role in the dynamics of anxiety following repeated stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vadim Tseilikman
- School of Medical Biology, South Ural State University, 454080 Chelyabinsk, Russia; (M.L.); (I.K.); (G.C.); (M.V.); (A.P.); (J.F.); (E.M.); (O.T.); (A.S.); (H.F.D.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +7-919311-85-99
| | - Maxim Lapshin
- School of Medical Biology, South Ural State University, 454080 Chelyabinsk, Russia; (M.L.); (I.K.); (G.C.); (M.V.); (A.P.); (J.F.); (E.M.); (O.T.); (A.S.); (H.F.D.)
| | - Igor Klebanov
- School of Medical Biology, South Ural State University, 454080 Chelyabinsk, Russia; (M.L.); (I.K.); (G.C.); (M.V.); (A.P.); (J.F.); (E.M.); (O.T.); (A.S.); (H.F.D.)
- School of Electronic Engineering and Computer Science, South Ural State University, 454080 Chelyabinsk, Russia
| | - George Chrousos
- School of Medical Biology, South Ural State University, 454080 Chelyabinsk, Russia; (M.L.); (I.K.); (G.C.); (M.V.); (A.P.); (J.F.); (E.M.); (O.T.); (A.S.); (H.F.D.)
- University Research Institute of Maternal and Child Health and Precision Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece
| | - Maria Vasilieva
- School of Medical Biology, South Ural State University, 454080 Chelyabinsk, Russia; (M.L.); (I.K.); (G.C.); (M.V.); (A.P.); (J.F.); (E.M.); (O.T.); (A.S.); (H.F.D.)
| | - Anton Pashkov
- School of Medical Biology, South Ural State University, 454080 Chelyabinsk, Russia; (M.L.); (I.K.); (G.C.); (M.V.); (A.P.); (J.F.); (E.M.); (O.T.); (A.S.); (H.F.D.)
| | - Julia Fedotova
- School of Medical Biology, South Ural State University, 454080 Chelyabinsk, Russia; (M.L.); (I.K.); (G.C.); (M.V.); (A.P.); (J.F.); (E.M.); (O.T.); (A.S.); (H.F.D.)
- Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, Pavlov Institute of Physiology, RAS, 199034 St. Petersburg, Russia
- International Research Centre “Biotechnologies of the Third Millennium”, ITMO University, 191002 St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - David Tseilikman
- Zelman Institute of Medicine and Psychology, Novosibirsk State University, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia;
| | - Vladislav Shatilov
- Basic Medicine Department, Chelyabinsk State University, 454001 Chelyabinsk, Russia;
| | - Eugenia Manukhina
- School of Medical Biology, South Ural State University, 454080 Chelyabinsk, Russia; (M.L.); (I.K.); (G.C.); (M.V.); (A.P.); (J.F.); (E.M.); (O.T.); (A.S.); (H.F.D.)
- Laboratory for Regulatory Mechanisms of Stress and Adaptation, Institute of General Pathology and Pathophysiology, 125315 Moscow, Russia
- Department of Physiology and Anatomy, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, TX 76107, USA
| | - Olga Tseilikman
- School of Medical Biology, South Ural State University, 454080 Chelyabinsk, Russia; (M.L.); (I.K.); (G.C.); (M.V.); (A.P.); (J.F.); (E.M.); (O.T.); (A.S.); (H.F.D.)
- Basic Medicine Department, Chelyabinsk State University, 454001 Chelyabinsk, Russia;
| | - Alexey Sarapultsev
- School of Medical Biology, South Ural State University, 454080 Chelyabinsk, Russia; (M.L.); (I.K.); (G.C.); (M.V.); (A.P.); (J.F.); (E.M.); (O.T.); (A.S.); (H.F.D.)
- Institute of Immunology and Physiology, Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Science, 620049 Ekaterinburg, Russia
| | - H. Fred Downey
- School of Medical Biology, South Ural State University, 454080 Chelyabinsk, Russia; (M.L.); (I.K.); (G.C.); (M.V.); (A.P.); (J.F.); (E.M.); (O.T.); (A.S.); (H.F.D.)
- Department of Physiology and Anatomy, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, TX 76107, USA
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Ding J, Chen X, Han F, Meijer OC. An Advanced Transcriptional Response to Corticosterone After Single Prolonged Stress in Male Rats. Front Behav Neurosci 2021; 15:756903. [PMID: 34867228 PMCID: PMC8636037 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2021.756903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2021] [Accepted: 10/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Stress-related neuropsychiatric disorders are often accompanied by dysfunction of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. In patients suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), increased sensitivity of glucocorticoid negative feedback has regularly been observed. The single prolonged stress (SPS) paradigm was developed to model increased negative feedback and other aspects of PTSD in rats. In this study, we used a setup that precluded the evaluation of negative feedback but rather served to test the hypothesis of the enhanced glucocorticoid receptor (GR) signaling in higher brain areas. We injected corticosterone or vehicle 7 days after SPS and evaluated plasma corticosterone, as well as gene expression in the dorsal hippocampus and amygdala. We observed a strikingly rapid change in the expression of established GR target genes (t = 30 min) only in the SPS group on exogenous corticosterone injection. Our results extend the notion of increased GR sensitivity in PTSD to include transcriptional responses in the hippocampus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinlan Ding
- Division of Endocrinology, Department of Internal Medicine, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands.,Einthoven Laboratory for Experimental Vascular Medicine, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands.,PTSD Lab, Department of Histology and Embryology, Basic Medical College, China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Xinzhao Chen
- PTSD Lab, Department of Histology and Embryology, Basic Medical College, China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Fang Han
- PTSD Lab, Department of Histology and Embryology, Basic Medical College, China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Onno C Meijer
- Division of Endocrinology, Department of Internal Medicine, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands.,Einthoven Laboratory for Experimental Vascular Medicine, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands
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