Chronic low dose corticosterone exposure decreased hippocampal cell proliferation, volume and induced anxiety and depression like behaviours in mice

• Published in: European journal of pharmacology Vol. 583; no. 1; pp. 115 - 127
• Main Authors: Murray, Fraser, Smith, David W., Hutson, Peter H.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 31.03.2008; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adrenal Glands - drug effects; Adult and adolescent clinical studies; Animals; Antidepressant; Antidepressive Agents, Second-Generation - pharmacology; Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic - pharmacology; Antimetabolites; Anxiety - psychology; Behavior, Animal - drug effects; Behaviour; Biological and medical sciences; Bromodeoxyuridine; Cell Proliferation - drug effects; Chemistry, Pharmaceutical; Corticosterone; Corticosterone - blood; Corticosterone - pharmacology; Depression; Depression - psychology; Fluoxetine - pharmacology; Glucocorticoid; Hippocampus - anatomy & histology; Hippocampus - cytology; Hippocampus - drug effects; Imipramine - pharmacology; Immunohistochemistry; Lighting; Male; Medical sciences; Mice; Mood disorders; Neurogenesis; Organ Size - drug effects; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Swimming - psychology; Antidepressant; Depression; Behaviour; Corticosterone; Glucocorticoid; Neurogenesis; Cell proliferation; Affect affectivity; Psychotropic; Central nervous system; Encephalon; Antidepressant agent; Anxiety; Behavior; Cell volume; Mood disorder; Steroid hormone; Low dose; Rodentia; Vertebrata; Chronic; Mammalia; Mouse; Animal; Adrenal hormone; Hippocampus

A dysregulated hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA) has been implicated in major depressive disorder and most commonly used animal models of depression have been shown to elevate circulating levels of plasma corticosterone. We have compared the effects of chronic and acute corticosterone admini...