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04:33
Primary Culture of Rat Adrenocortical Cells and Assays of Steroidogenic Functions
Published on: March 12, 2019
Corticosteroid effects on cellular physiology of limbic cells
Marian Joëls1, Harmen J Krugers, Paul J Lucassen
1SILS-CNS, University of Amsterdam, Kruislaan 320, 1098 SM Amsterdam, The Netherlands. M.Joels@uva.nl
Brain Research
|April 1, 2009
Summary
Corticosterone rapidly increases hippocampal neuron excitability via nongenomic pathways and later impacts calcium influx and long-term potentiation through genomic actions. These stress hormone effects are region-specific and modulated by other mediators and life history.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Endocrinology
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Stress triggers increased circulating corticosterone, a key stress hormone.
- Corticosterone significantly impacts limbic system neurophysiology, particularly in neurons with high corticosteroid receptor expression.
Purpose of the Study:
- To elucidate the neurophysiological effects of corticosterone on limbic neurons following stress.
- To differentiate the rapid, nongenomic actions from delayed, genomic effects of corticosterone.
- To investigate the interaction of corticosterone with other stress mediators and its region-specific actions.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of neurophysiological changes in hippocampal CA1 neurons post-stress.
- Investigation of nongenomic pathways involving mineralocorticoid receptors.
- Examination of gene-mediated actions via glucocorticoid receptors and their impact on calcium influx and long-term potentiation.
- Comparative analysis of corticosterone's effects in different brain regions (hippocampus, basolateral amygdala, paraventricular nucleus).
Main Results:
- Corticosterone rapidly enhances CA1 neuron excitability via nongenomic mineralocorticoid receptor pathways.
- Delayed genomic actions mediated by glucocorticoid receptors impair long-term potentiation and alter calcium influx hours after stress.
- Neurophysiological responses to corticosterone are distinct across brain regions like the hippocampus, basolateral amygdala, and paraventricular nucleus.
- Corticosterone's actions are modulated by other stress mediators, such as noradrenaline.
- The specific effects of corticosterone are influenced by individual life history.
Conclusions:
- Corticosterone exerts both rapid and delayed neurophysiological effects on the hippocampus, influencing neuronal excitability and synaptic plasticity.
- These effects are region-specific within the limbic system, suggesting a complex role in processing stress-related information.
- The neurobiological impact of corticosterone is context-dependent, involving interactions with other signaling molecules and influenced by an individual's past experiences.
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