Naumova AA, Oleynik EA, Grigorieva YS, Nikolaeva SD, Chernigovskaya EV, Glazova MV. In search of stress: analysis of stress-related markers in mice after hindlimb unloading and social isolation.
Neurol Res 2023;
45:957-968. [PMID:
37642364 DOI:
10.1080/01616412.2023.2252280]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 08/20/2023] [Indexed: 08/31/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES
Hindlimb unloading (HU), widely used to simulate microgravity effects, is known to induce a stress response. However, as single-housed animals are usually used in such experiments, social isolation (SI) stress can affect experimental results. In the present study, we aimed to delineate stressful effects of 3-day HU and SI in mice.
METHODS
Three animal groups, HU, SI, and group-housed (GH) control mice, were recruited. A comprehensive analysis of stress-related markers was performed using ELISA, western blotting, and immunohistochemistry.
RESULTS
Our results showed that blood corticosterone and activity of glucocorticoid receptors and cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB) in the hippocampus of SI and HU animals did not differ from GH control. However, SI mice demonstrated upregulation of the hippocampal corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH), inducible NO synthase (iNOS), vesicular glutamate transporter 1 (VGLUT1), and glutamate decarboxylases 65/67 (GAD65/67) along with activation of Fos-related antigen 1 (Fra-1) in the amygdala confirming the expression of stress. In HU mice, the same increase in GAD65/67 and Fra-1 indicated the contribution of SI. The special HU effect was expressed only in neurogenesis attenuation.
DISCUSSION
Thus, our data indicated that 3-day HU could not be characterized as physiological stress, but SI stress contributed to the negative effects of HU.
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