Journal article
The Effects of Prior Stress on Anxiety-Like Responding to Intra-BNST Pituitary Adenylate Cyclase Activating Polypeptide in Male and Female Rats
Neuropsychopharmacology (New York, N.Y.), v 42(8), pp 1679-1687
Jul 2017
PMID: 28106040
Featured in Collection : UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
Abstract
Chronic or repeated exposure to stressful stimuli can result in several maladaptive consequences, including increased anxiety-like behaviors and altered peptide expression in anxiety-related brain structures. Among these structures, the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) has been implicated in emotional behaviors as well as regulation of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activity. In male rodents, chronic variate stress (CVS) has been shown to increase BNST pituitary adenylate cyclase activating polypeptide (PACAP) and its cognate PAC1 receptor transcript, and BNST PACAP signaling may mediate the maladaptive changes associated with chronic stress. Here, we examined whether CVS would sensitize the behavioral and/or endocrine response to a subthreshold BNST PACAP infusion. Male and cycling female rats were exposed to a 7 day CVS paradigm previously shown to upregulate BNST PAC1 receptor transcripts; control rats were not stressed. Twenty-four hours following the last stressor, rats were bilaterally infused into the BNST with a normally subthreshold dose of PACAP. We found an increase in startle amplitude and plasma corticosterone levels 30 min following intra-BNST PACAP infusion in male rats that had been previously exposed to CVS. CVS did not enhance the startle response in cycling females. Equimolar infusion of the VPAC1/2 receptor ligand vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) had no effect on plasma corticosterone levels even in previously stressed male rats. These results suggest that repeated exposure to stressors may differentially alter the neural circuits underlying the responses to intra-BNST PACAP, and may result in different anxiety-like responses in males and females.
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Details
- Title
- The Effects of Prior Stress on Anxiety-Like Responding to Intra-BNST Pituitary Adenylate Cyclase Activating Polypeptide in Male and Female Rats
- Creators
- S Bradley King - University of VermontKim R Lezak - Harvard UniversityMicaela O'Reilly - University of VermontDonna J Toufexis - University of VermontWilliam A Falls - University of VermontKaren Braas - University of VermontVictor May - University of VermontSayamwong E Hammack - University of Vermont
- Publication Details
- Neuropsychopharmacology (New York, N.Y.), v 42(8), pp 1679-1687
- Publisher
- Springer Nature
- Grant note
- R01 MH097988 / NIMH NIH HHS
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Neurobiology and Anatomy
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:000403235600013
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-85012927701
- Other Identifier
- 991020100079804721
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- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- Web of Science research areas
- Neurosciences
- Pharmacology & Pharmacy
- Psychiatry