Brain-derived-neurotrophic-factor (BDNF) stress response in rats bred for learned helplessness

Vollmayr, B., Faust, H., Lewicka, S., Henn, F. A. (July 2001) Brain-derived-neurotrophic-factor (BDNF) stress response in rats bred for learned helplessness. Mol Psychiatry, 6 (4). 471-4, 358. ISSN 1359-4184 (Print)1359-4184 (Linking)

URL: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11443536
DOI: 10.1038/sj.mp.4000907

Abstract

Stress-induced elevation of glucocorticoids is accompanied by structural changes and neuronal damage in certain brain areas. This includes reduced expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the hippocampus which can be prevented by chronic electroconvulsive seizures and antidepressant drug treatment. In the last years we have bred two strains of rats, one which reacts with congenital helplessness to stress (cLH), and one which congenitally does not acquire helplessness when stressed (cNLH). After being selectively bred for more than 40 generations these strains have lost their behavioural plasticity including their sensitivity to antidepressant treatment. We show here that in cLH rats, acute immobilization stress does not induce a reduction of BDNF expression in the hippocampus which is observed in Sprague--Dawley and cNLH rats. All animals tested exhibited elevated corticosterone levels when stressed, an indication, that in cLH rats regulation of BDNF expression in the hippocampal formation is uncoupled from corticosterone increase induced through stress. This may explain the lack of adaptive responses in this strain.

Item Type: Paper
Uncontrolled Keywords: Animals Brain/ metabolism Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor/ genetics Corticosterone/blood Electroshock Escape Reaction Gene Expression Regulation Helplessness, Learned In Situ Hybridization Inbreeding RNA, Messenger/genetics Rats Rats, Mutant Strains Rats, Sprague-Dawley Stress, Psychological/blood/genetics Transcription, Genetic
Subjects: diseases & disorders > mental disorders > anxiety disorders
bioinformatics > genomics and proteomics > genetics & nucleic acid processing > protein structure, function, modification
organism description > animal behavior
bioinformatics > genomics and proteomics > genetics & nucleic acid processing > protein structure, function, modification > protein types > brain derived neurotrophic factor
organism description > animal > mammal > rodent > rat
organism description > animal > mammal > rodent > rat
CSHL Authors:
Communities: CSHL labs > Henn lab
Depositing User: Matt Covey
Date: July 2001
Date Deposited: 16 Jan 2014 15:51
Last Modified: 16 Jan 2014 15:51
Related URLs:
URI: https://repository.cshl.edu/id/eprint/29323

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