TY - JOUR
T1 - Single prolonged stress enhances hippocampal glucocorticoid receptor and phosphorylated protein kinase B levels
AU - Eagle, Andrew L.
AU - Knox, Dayan
AU - Roberts, Megan M.
AU - Mulo, Kostika
AU - Liberzon, Israel
AU - Galloway, Matthew P.
AU - Perrine, Shane A.
PY - 2013/2
Y1 - 2013/2
N2 - Animal models of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can explore neurobiological mechanisms by which trauma enhances fear and anxiety reactivity. Single prolonged stress (SPS) shows good validity in producing PTSD-like behavior. While SPS-induced behaviors have been linked to enhanced glucocorticoid receptor (GR) expression, the molecular ramifications of enhanced GR expression have yet to be identified. Phosphorylated protein kinase B (pAkt) is critical for stress-mediated enhancement in general anxiety and memory, and may be regulated by GRs. However, it is currently unknown if pAkt levels are modulated by SPS, as well as if the specificity of GR and pAkt related changes contribute to anxiety-like behavior after SPS. The current study set out to examine the effects of SPS on GR and pAkt protein levels in the amygdala and hippocampus and to examine the specificity of these changes to unconditioned anxiety-like behavior. Levels of GR and pAkt were increased in the hippocampus, but not amygdala. Furthermore, SPS had no effect on unconditioned anxiety-like behavior suggesting that generalized anxiety is not consistently observed following SPS. The results suggest that SPS-enhanced GR expression is associated with phosphorylation of Akt, and also suggest that these changes are not related to an anxiogenic phenotype.
AB - Animal models of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can explore neurobiological mechanisms by which trauma enhances fear and anxiety reactivity. Single prolonged stress (SPS) shows good validity in producing PTSD-like behavior. While SPS-induced behaviors have been linked to enhanced glucocorticoid receptor (GR) expression, the molecular ramifications of enhanced GR expression have yet to be identified. Phosphorylated protein kinase B (pAkt) is critical for stress-mediated enhancement in general anxiety and memory, and may be regulated by GRs. However, it is currently unknown if pAkt levels are modulated by SPS, as well as if the specificity of GR and pAkt related changes contribute to anxiety-like behavior after SPS. The current study set out to examine the effects of SPS on GR and pAkt protein levels in the amygdala and hippocampus and to examine the specificity of these changes to unconditioned anxiety-like behavior. Levels of GR and pAkt were increased in the hippocampus, but not amygdala. Furthermore, SPS had no effect on unconditioned anxiety-like behavior suggesting that generalized anxiety is not consistently observed following SPS. The results suggest that SPS-enhanced GR expression is associated with phosphorylation of Akt, and also suggest that these changes are not related to an anxiogenic phenotype.
KW - Akt
KW - Anxiety
KW - Glucocorticoid receptor
KW - Hippocampus
KW - Posttraumatic stress disorder
KW - Single prolonged stress
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84875381028&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84875381028&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.neures.2012.11.001
DO - 10.1016/j.neures.2012.11.001
M3 - Article
C2 - 23201176
AN - SCOPUS:84875381028
VL - 75
SP - 130
EP - 137
JO - Neuroscience Research
JF - Neuroscience Research
SN - 0168-0102
IS - 2
ER -