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Updated: Feb 20, 2026

The Unpredictable Chronic Mild Stress Protocol for Inducing Anhedonia in Mice
Published on: October 24, 2018
Mast cell involvement in glucose tolerance impairment caused by chronic mild stress with sleep disturbance
Sachiko Chikahisa1, Saki Harada1,2, Noriyuki Shimizu1
1Department of Integrative Physiology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima University Graduate School, Tokushima, 770-8503, Japan.
Abstract:
We have developed a chronic mild stress (MS) mouse model by simply rearing mice on a wire net for 3 weeks and investigated the effects of MS on glucose homeostasis and sleep. MS mice showed impaired glucose tolerance and disturbed sleep. One-week treatment with a histamine H1 receptor antagonist (H1RA) ameliorated the glucose intolerance and improved sleep quality in MS mice. MS mice showed an increased number of mast cells in both adipose tissue and the brain. Inhibition of mast cell function ameliorated the impairment in both glucose tolerance and sleep. Together, these findings indicate that mast cells may represent an important pathophysiological mediator in sleep and energy homeostasis.
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