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Belo-Silva AE, de Gusmão Taveiros Silva NK, Marianno P, de Araújo Costa G, da Rovare VP, Bailey A, Munhoz CD, Novaes LS, Camarini R. Effects of the combination of chronic unpredictable stress and environmental enrichment on anxiety-like behavior assessed using the elevated plus maze in Swiss male mice: Hypothalamus-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis-mediated mechanisms. Horm Behav 2024; 162:105538. [PMID: 38574447 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2024.105538] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2023] [Revised: 03/22/2024] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/06/2024]
Abstract
Environmental enrichment (EE) is a paradigm that offers the animal a plethora of stimuli, including physical, cognitive, sensory, and social enrichment. Exposure to EE can modulate both anxiety responses and plasma corticosterone. In this study, our objective was to explore how chronic unpredictable stress (CUS) impacts anxiety-related behaviors in male Swiss mice raised in EE conditions. Additionally, we investigated corticosterone and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) levels to assess the involvement of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis in mediating these responses. Mice were housed under either EE or standard housing conditions for 21 days. Afterward, they were exposed to 11 days of CUS while still reared in their distinct housing conditions, with half of the mice receiving daily pretreatment with the vehicle and the other half receiving daily metyrapone (MET) injections, an inhibitor of steroid synthesis, 30 mins before CUS exposure. Blood samples were obtained to assess plasma corticosterone and ACTH levels. The 11-day CUS protocol induced anxiety-like phenotype and elevated ACTH levels in EE mice. Chronic MET pretreatment prevented anxiety-like behavior in the EE-CUS groups, by mechanisms involving increased plasma corticosterone levels and decreased ACTH. These results suggest a role of the HPA axis in the mechanism underlying the anxiogenic phenotype induced by CUS in EE mice and shed light on the complex interplay between environmental factors, stress, and the HPA axis in anxiety regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ariadne Elisa Belo-Silva
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes, 1524, 05508-900 São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Nivea Karla de Gusmão Taveiros Silva
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes, 1524, 05508-900 São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Priscila Marianno
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes, 1524, 05508-900 São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Gabriel de Araújo Costa
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes, 1524, 05508-900 São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Veridiana Petenati da Rovare
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes, 1524, 05508-900 São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Alexis Bailey
- Pharmacology Section, St George's University of London, London, UK
| | - Carolina Demarchi Munhoz
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes, 1524, 05508-900 São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Leonardo Santana Novaes
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes, 1524, 05508-900 São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
| | - Rosana Camarini
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes, 1524, 05508-900 São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
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