Quality and Timing of Stressors Differentially Impact on Brain Plasticity and Neuroendocrine-Immune Function in Mice

A growing body of evidence suggests that psychological stress is a major risk factor for psychiatric disorders. The basic mechanisms are still under investigation but involve changes in neuroendocrine-immune interactions, ultimately affecting brain plasticity. In this study we characterized central...

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Main Authors: Sara Capoccia, Alessandra Berry, Veronica Bellisario, Davide Vacirca, Elena Ortona, Enrico Alleva, Francesca Cirulli
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2013-01-01
Series:Neural Plasticity
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2013/971817
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author Sara Capoccia
Alessandra Berry
Veronica Bellisario
Davide Vacirca
Elena Ortona
Enrico Alleva
Francesca Cirulli
author_facet Sara Capoccia
Alessandra Berry
Veronica Bellisario
Davide Vacirca
Elena Ortona
Enrico Alleva
Francesca Cirulli
author_sort Sara Capoccia
collection DOAJ
description A growing body of evidence suggests that psychological stress is a major risk factor for psychiatric disorders. The basic mechanisms are still under investigation but involve changes in neuroendocrine-immune interactions, ultimately affecting brain plasticity. In this study we characterized central and peripheral effects of different stressors, applied for different time lengths, in adult male C57BL/6J mice. We compared the effects of repeated (7 versus 21 days) restraint stress (RS) and chronic disruption of social hierarchy (SS) on neuroendocrine (corticosterone) and immune function (cytokines and splenic apoptosis) and on a marker of brain plasticity (brain-derived neurotrophic factor, BDNF ). Neuroendocrine activation did not differ between SS and control subjects; by contrast, the RS group showed a strong neuroendocrine response characterized by a specific time-dependent profile. Immune function and hippocampal BDNF levels were inversely related to hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activation. These data show a fine modulation of the crosstalk between central and peripheral pathways of adaptation and plasticity and suggest that the length of stress exposure is crucial to determine its final outcome on health or disease.
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institution Kabale University
issn 2090-5904
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language English
publishDate 2013-01-01
publisher Wiley
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series Neural Plasticity
spelling doaj-art-5f132e00a3704c83ba8d519d1d210ebe2025-08-20T03:34:24ZengWileyNeural Plasticity2090-59041687-54432013-01-01201310.1155/2013/971817971817Quality and Timing of Stressors Differentially Impact on Brain Plasticity and Neuroendocrine-Immune Function in MiceSara Capoccia0Alessandra Berry1Veronica Bellisario2Davide Vacirca3Elena Ortona4Enrico Alleva5Francesca Cirulli6Section of Behavioural Neuroscience, Department of Cell Biology and Neurosciences, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena 299, 00161 Rome, ItalySection of Behavioural Neuroscience, Department of Cell Biology and Neurosciences, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena 299, 00161 Rome, ItalySection of Behavioural Neuroscience, Department of Cell Biology and Neurosciences, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena 299, 00161 Rome, ItalySection of Biomarkers in Degenerative Diseases, Department of Cell Biology and Neurosciences, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena 299, 00161 Rome, ItalySection of Biomarkers in Degenerative Diseases, Department of Cell Biology and Neurosciences, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena 299, 00161 Rome, ItalySection of Behavioural Neuroscience, Department of Cell Biology and Neurosciences, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena 299, 00161 Rome, ItalySection of Behavioural Neuroscience, Department of Cell Biology and Neurosciences, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena 299, 00161 Rome, ItalyA growing body of evidence suggests that psychological stress is a major risk factor for psychiatric disorders. The basic mechanisms are still under investigation but involve changes in neuroendocrine-immune interactions, ultimately affecting brain plasticity. In this study we characterized central and peripheral effects of different stressors, applied for different time lengths, in adult male C57BL/6J mice. We compared the effects of repeated (7 versus 21 days) restraint stress (RS) and chronic disruption of social hierarchy (SS) on neuroendocrine (corticosterone) and immune function (cytokines and splenic apoptosis) and on a marker of brain plasticity (brain-derived neurotrophic factor, BDNF ). Neuroendocrine activation did not differ between SS and control subjects; by contrast, the RS group showed a strong neuroendocrine response characterized by a specific time-dependent profile. Immune function and hippocampal BDNF levels were inversely related to hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activation. These data show a fine modulation of the crosstalk between central and peripheral pathways of adaptation and plasticity and suggest that the length of stress exposure is crucial to determine its final outcome on health or disease.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2013/971817
spellingShingle Sara Capoccia
Alessandra Berry
Veronica Bellisario
Davide Vacirca
Elena Ortona
Enrico Alleva
Francesca Cirulli
Quality and Timing of Stressors Differentially Impact on Brain Plasticity and Neuroendocrine-Immune Function in Mice
Neural Plasticity
title Quality and Timing of Stressors Differentially Impact on Brain Plasticity and Neuroendocrine-Immune Function in Mice
title_full Quality and Timing of Stressors Differentially Impact on Brain Plasticity and Neuroendocrine-Immune Function in Mice
title_fullStr Quality and Timing of Stressors Differentially Impact on Brain Plasticity and Neuroendocrine-Immune Function in Mice
title_full_unstemmed Quality and Timing of Stressors Differentially Impact on Brain Plasticity and Neuroendocrine-Immune Function in Mice
title_short Quality and Timing of Stressors Differentially Impact on Brain Plasticity and Neuroendocrine-Immune Function in Mice
title_sort quality and timing of stressors differentially impact on brain plasticity and neuroendocrine immune function in mice
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2013/971817
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