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The influence of acute restraint stress on social ranks: possible role of nitergic neurons
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Zeinab Parvin   , Gila Behzadi |
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Abstract: (245 Views) |
Introduction: Social hierarchy greatly impacts physical and mental health, but the relation between social hierarchy and anxiety and the underlying neuronal mechanisms remains unclear. To note that, an increase in the number of nitergic neurons in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN); at the origin of the HPA-axis, supraoptic nucleus (SON); regulating hemostasis impairment, and basolateral amygdala (BLA); center of fear and anxiety, after induction of acute restraint stress (ARS). In the present study, the effect of ARS upon these nitergic neurons was investigated in two categories of social ranks: dominant (Dom) and subordinate (Sub) subjects.
Methods and Materials: The tube test was used to determine the social hierarchy status of home-caged sibling male Wistar rats. Anxiety-like behavior in the open-field test (OFT) and elevated plus-maze (EPM) in Dom and Sub groups (n=7 each), were assessed before and one day after induction of ARS (1 hour). Immediately, after ARS, Dom and Sub (n=3 each) underwent NADPH–diaphorase histochemical technique. The total number of NADPH-positive neurons in PVN, SON, and BLA nuclei were counted in six sections/ animal.
Results: Before and one day after stress, Dom had significantly higher anxiety-like behaviors compared to Sub group, with a lower percentage of open arm time (*) and number of entries (*) in the EPM and center time (*) in the OFT. ARS induced a significant increase in the density of neurons expressing NADPH-d in the PVN (*), SON (**) and BLA (**) in both Dom and Sub group in comparison to their intact counterparts. Our data elicits significantly higher number of nitergic neurons in Dom, before and after stress in the PVN (**,*), SON (**,*), and BLA (***,*) compared to Sub group (*= P<0.05, **=P<0.01, ***=P<0.001).
Conclusion: Upon the present experimental results, NO may involve in heightening anxiety-like behavior as observed in Dom rats.
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| Keywords: Social hierarchy, Acute restraint stress, Anxiety, Nitric oxide, Social status, Histochemistry, Rat |
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Full-Text [PDF 319 kb]
(33 Downloads)
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Type of Study: Research |
Subject:
General
Received: 2024/02/21 | Accepted: 2023/08/10 | Published: 2023/08/10
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