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Selective hippocampal lesions do not increase adrenocortical activity.

Frode A Tuvnes1, Hill-Aina Steffenach, Robert Murison

  • 1Centre for the Biology of Memory, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, N-7489 Trondheim, Norway.

The Journal of Neuroscience : the Official Journal of the Society for Neuroscience
|May 24, 2003
PubMed
Summary

The hippocampus does not tonically inhibit the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) stress axis. Selective damage to the hippocampus did not alter corticosterone levels, suggesting other brain systems provide HPA axis feedback.

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Endocrinology
  • Stress Physiology

Background:

  • The hippocampus is theorized to exert tonic inhibitory control over the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) stress axis.
  • This hypothesis is supported by studies showing increased HPA activity following non-specific hippocampal lesions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of the hippocampus and subiculum in the tonic inhibition of the HPA axis.
  • To determine if selective damage to these brain regions affects corticosterone secretion.

Main Methods:

  • Selective neurotoxic lesions of the hippocampus and subiculum in rats.
  • Measurement of plasma corticosterone concentrations at rest and after varying stress levels.
  • Temporary inactivation of the hippocampus and ventral subiculum using muscimol.

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Main Results:

  • Selective hippocampal lesions did not elevate corticosterone concentrations under any condition.
  • Temporary hippocampal or ventral subiculum inactivation did not induce corticosterone hypersecretion.
  • Hippocampal inactivation impaired spatial memory, dissociating this function from HPA axis regulation.

Conclusions:

  • The hippocampus is not essential for the tonic inhibition of adrenocortical activity.
  • The HPA axis likely receives effective negative feedback from other neural systems.
  • These findings challenge the established view of the hippocampus's role in stress axis regulation.