Sex Differences in the Effects of Acute Swim Stress on Binding to GABA<sub>A</sub> Receptors in Mouse Brain

Akinci, Mualla; Johnston, Graham A.R.

doi:10.1111/j.1471-4159.1993.tb03507.x

Cited by 42 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 28 publications

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“…In agreement with past studies (Akinci & Johnston, 1993;Atkinson & Waddell, 1997;Galea et al, 1997;Gaskin & Kitay, 1970;Kitay, 1961Kitay, , 1963Kant et al, 1983), females exhibited elevated basal and stress levels of glucocorticoids relative to males. Of the two stressors, swim-stress provoked a more intense adrenal corticosterone response than tailshock in females.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

Acute Stress Persistently Enhances Estrogen Levels in the Female Rat

Shors

Pickett

Wood

et al. 1999

Stress

118

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Here we tested whether exposure to either tailshock or swim stress alters ovarian hormone levels, estrogen and progesterone, in females and whether the effects are persistent. Adrenal hormone levels were also measured in males and females. Estradiol levels were elevated in unstressed females during proestrus relative to females in other stages of estrous, and exposure to the stressors enhanced estradiol beyond basal levels. For females stressed during diestrus 2, estradiol levels were elevated immediately after stressor cessation and up to 24 hrs. Exposure to tailshock, but not swim-stress, transiently enhanced progesterone in females stressed during the stage of proestrus and estrus. Glucocorticoid levels were elevated in response to both stressors and were supraelevated in females under both basal and stress conditions relative to males, particularly in blood from females exposed to acute swim stress. These results indicate that exposure to a relatively acute stressful event immediately and persistently enhances serum estradiol and are discussed in the context of reports that exposure to the same stressors immediately and persistently impairs associative learning in the female rat.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

Acute Stress Persistently Enhances Estrogen Levels in the Female Rat

Shors

Pickett

Wood

et al. 1999

Stress

118

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“…Gender was not used as a factor as it is known that there is a sexually dimorphic response to stress. 16 …”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Environmental enrichment rescues female-specific hyperactivity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in a model of Huntington's disease

Leang

Mustafa

et al. 2012

Transl Psychiatry

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Huntington's disease (HD) has long been regarded as a disease of the central nervous system, partly due to typical disease symptoms that include loss of motor control, cognitive deficits and neuropsychiatric disturbances. However, the huntingtin gene is ubiquitously expressed throughout the body. We had previously reported a female-specific depression-related behavioural phenotype in the R6/1 transgenic mouse model of HD. One hypothesis suggests that pathology of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, the key physiological stress-response system that links central and peripheral organs, is a cause of depression. There is evidence of HPA axis pathology in HD, but whether it contributes to the female R6/1 behavioural phenotype is unclear. We have examined HPA axis response of R6/1 mice following acute stress and found evidence of a female-specific dysregulation of the HPA axis in R6/1 mice, which we further isolated to a hyper-response of adrenal cortical cells to stimulation by adrenocorticotrophin hormone. Interestingly, the adrenal pathophysiology was not detected in mice that had been housed in environmentally enriching conditions, an effect of enrichment that was also reproduced in vitro. This constitutes the first evidence that environmental enrichment can in fact exert a lasting influence on peripheral organ function. Cognitive stimulation may therefore not only have benefits for mental function, but also for overall physiological wellbeing.

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“…Recent evidence also suggests that continuous neurosteroid exposure in females also regulates neuropeptide expression in the amygdala (Ferrara et al, 2001). Therefore, several other factors may also contribute to the sex differences observed here and in sexually dimorphic responses to stressors in general (Akinci and Johnston, 1993;Figueiredo et al, 2002).…”

mentioning

confidence: 64%

Anxiogenic Effects of Neurosteroid Exposure: Sex Differences and Altered GABA_A Receptor Pharmacology in Adult Rats

Gulinello¹,

Smith²

2003

J Pharmacol Exp Ther

109

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Acute exposure to progesterone or its neurosteroid derivative allopregnanolone (3␣,5␣-THP) is anxiolytic, consistent with the GABA modulatory effects of 3␣,5␣-THP at the GABA A receptor. However, continuous exposure to progesterone increases anxiety in association with increased expression of the benzodiazepine-insensitive GABA A receptor ␣4 subunit. Furthermore, negative mood symptoms and altered GABA A receptor pharmacology in patients with premenstrual dysphoric disorder occur in the early luteal phase in association with peak circulating levels of progesterone and 3␣,5␣-THP. Because sex differences have been reported in steroid-regulated anxiety responses, the present study investigated the role of sex and development in the regulation of anxiety after short-term exposure to 3␣,5␣-THP. To this end, we compared the effects of hormone administration in adult male, adult female, and juvenile female rats. Increased anxiety in the elevated plus maze was evident in all groups after 48-h exposure to either 3␣,5␣-THP or progesterone. At this time point, alterations in the anxiolytic profile of benzodiazepine agonists and antagonists were also observed in both adult males and females in the elevated plus maze. However, sex differences in the acoustic startle response were observed after short-term hormone treatment such that only female rats displayed an increased response indicative of higher anxiety levels. These results suggest that although neurosteroid exposure may influence both the pharmacological properties of the GABA A receptor and the manifestation of anxiety in both sexes, the effects of neurosteroids may be modulated in a sex-and task-specific manner.

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Sex Differences in the Effects of Acute Swim Stress on Binding to GABA_A Receptors in Mouse Brain

Cited by 42 publications

References 28 publications

Acute Stress Persistently Enhances Estrogen Levels in the Female Rat

Acute Stress Persistently Enhances Estrogen Levels in the Female Rat

Environmental enrichment rescues female-specific hyperactivity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in a model of Huntington's disease

Anxiogenic Effects of Neurosteroid Exposure: Sex Differences and Altered GABA_A Receptor Pharmacology in Adult Rats

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Sex Differences in the Effects of Acute Swim Stress on Binding to GABAA Receptors in Mouse Brain

Cited by 42 publications

References 28 publications

Acute Stress Persistently Enhances Estrogen Levels in the Female Rat

Acute Stress Persistently Enhances Estrogen Levels in the Female Rat

Environmental enrichment rescues female-specific hyperactivity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in a model of Huntington's disease

Anxiogenic Effects of Neurosteroid Exposure: Sex Differences and Altered GABAA Receptor Pharmacology in Adult Rats

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Product

Resources

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Sex Differences in the Effects of Acute Swim Stress on Binding to GABA_A Receptors in Mouse Brain

Anxiogenic Effects of Neurosteroid Exposure: Sex Differences and Altered GABA_A Receptor Pharmacology in Adult Rats