Adolescent chronic stress causes hypothalamo–pituitary–adrenocortical hypo-responsiveness and depression-like behavior in adult female rats

• Published in: Psychoneuroendocrinology Vol. 65; pp. 109 - 117
• Main Authors: Wulsin, Aynara C, Wick-Carlson, Dayna, Packard, Benjamin A, Morano, Rachel, Herman, James P
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01.03.2016
• Subjects: Adolescence; Adrenocorticotropic Hormone - metabolism; Animals; Chronic variable stress; Corticosterone - metabolism; Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone - metabolism; Depression; Depressive Disorder - metabolism; Depressive Disorder - physiopathology; Endocrinology & Metabolism; Female; Female rodent; Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System - metabolism; Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System - physiology; Neuroendocrine; Paraventricular Hypothalamic Nucleus - metabolism; Pituitary Gland - metabolism; Pituitary-Adrenal System - metabolism; Pituitary-Adrenal System - physiology; Pregnancy; Psychiatry; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Stress, Physiological - physiology; Vasopressins - metabolism; Adolescence; Depression; Neuroendocrine; Female rodent; Chronic variable stress
• ISSN: 0306-4530; 1873-3360
• DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2015.12.004

Highlights • Studied the neuroendocrine and behavioral effects of adolescent CVS exposure. • Exposure to CVS in adolescence blunts HPA axis response in adult female rats. • CVS in adolescents leads to depressive-like behaviors in adult female rats. • Adolescent rats exposed to CVS do not show deficits in stress or emotional reactivity. • Stress exposure in adolescence may alter the developmental trajectory of stress circuits.