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Genetic selection for coping style predicts stressor susceptibility
A H Veenema1, O C Meijer, E R de Kloet
1Department of Animal Physiology, Centre for Behavioural and Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Groningen, The Netherlands. a.h.veenema@biol.rug.nl
Journal of Neuroendocrinology
|February 18, 2003
Summary
Nonaggressive mice (LAL) showed chronic stress symptoms, including weight loss and elevated adrenocorticotropic hormone, after sensory contact stress. Aggressive mice (SAL) showed fewer stress responses, suggesting coping style influences stress susceptibility.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Animal Behavior
- Endocrinology
Background:
- Coping styles, such as aggressive (SAL) and nonaggressive (LAL) mouse lines, are linked to differential hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis regulation after acute stress.
- Understanding how coping styles influence responses to chronic stress is crucial for deciphering individual differences in stress-related psychopathology.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if coping style predicts susceptibility to chronic psychosocial stress.
- To examine line-dependent physiological and neuroendocrine changes in response to chronic stress paradigms.
Main Methods:
- Two chronic psychosocial stress paradigms were used: sensory contact stress and defeat stress.
- Mice were exposed to dominant males, with defeat stress including direct confrontation and subjugation.
- Physiological markers (body weight, hormone levels, thymus, adrenal, hippocampus) and neuroendocrine factors (corticotropin-releasing hormone mRNA) were assessed.
Main Results:
- Sensory contact stress induced chronic body weight loss and increased adrenocorticotropic hormone in LAL mice, alongside elevated corticosterone, thymus involution, and altered hippocampal mineralocorticoid receptor/glucocorticoid receptor (MR:GR) ratio.
- Defeat stress led to adrenal hypertrophy and thymus involution in both lines, with defeated LAL mice exhibiting prolonged weight loss, higher corticosterone, and lower hippocampal MR:GR ratio.
- Defeated SAL mice showed increased hypothalamic corticotropin-releasing hormone mRNA expression.
Conclusions:
- Chronic psychosocial stress paradigms induce line-dependent physiological and neuroendocrine alterations.
- The sensory contact stress paradigm selectively induced chronic stress symptoms in nonaggressive (LAL) mice, highlighting its potential for studying genetic factors in stress-related psychopathology.
- Coping style significantly influences an individual's susceptibility to chronic stress.