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Related Experiment Video

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A Chronic Immobilization Stress Protocol for Inducing Depression-Like Behavior in Mice

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Corticosteroids limit microglial activation occurring during acute stress.

S Sugama¹, T Takenouchi², M Fujita³

¹Department of Physiology, Nippon Medical School, 1-1-5 Sendagi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8602, Japan.

|December 25, 2012

Summary

Acute stress activates brain microglia, but adrenal corticoids, like corticosterone, suppress this response. Glucocorticoids limit stress-induced neuroinflammation.

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Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Immunology
Endocrinology

Background:

Acute stress triggers microglial activation in the brain.
Adrenal corticoids play a role in modulating stress responses.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the role of adrenal corticoids in microglial activation following acute stress.
To determine if corticosterone influences stress-induced neuroinflammation.

Main Methods:

Compared microglial activation in vivo.
Utilized adrenalectomized (ADX), Sham-operated (SHM), and corticosterone-treated (CORT) rats.
Exposed rats to acute water restraint stress.

Main Results:

Acute stress induced microglial activation in SHM rats.
Microglial activation was significantly enhanced in ADX rats exposed to acute stress.
Corticosterone treatment attenuated the enhanced microglial activation observed in ADX rats.

Conclusions:

Acute stress activates microglia, but this effect is negatively regulated by corticosterone.
Glucocorticoids may act as endogenous suppressors of stress-induced neuroinflammation.