A terrified-sound stress causes cognitive impairment in female mice by impairing neuronal plasticity

Stress is an important environmental factor affecting mental health that cannot be ignored. Moreover, due to the great physiological differences between males and females, the effects of stress may vary by sex. Previous studies have shown that terrified-sound stress, meaning exposed mice to the recorded vocalizations in response to the electric shock by their kind to induce psychological stress, can cause cognitive impairment in male. In the study, we investigated the effects of the terrified-sound stress on adult female mice.

32 adults female C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into control (n = 16) and stress group (n = 16). Sucrose preference test (SPT)was carried out to evaluate the depressive-like behavior. Using Open field test (OFT) to evaluate locomotor and exploratory alterations in mice. Spatial learning and memory ability were measured in Morris Water maze test (MWM), Golgi staining and western blotting showed dendritic remodeling after stress. In addition, serum hormone quantifications were performed by ELISA.

we found the sucrose preference of stress group was significantly decreased (p < 0.05) compared with control group; the escape latency of the stress group was significantly prolonged (p < 0.05), the total swimming distance and the number of target crossings(p < 0.05) were significantly increased (p < 0.05) in MWM; Endocrine hormone, Testosterone (T) (p < 0.05), GnRH (p < 0.05), FSH and LH levels was decreased; Golgi staining and western blotting showed a significant decrease in dendritic arborization, spine density and synaptic plasticity related proteins PSD95 and BDNF in the stress group.

Terrified-sound stress induced depressive-like behaviors, locomotor and exploratory alterations. And impaired cognitive by altering dendritic remodeling and the expression of synaptic plasticity-related proteins. However, females are resilient to terrified-sound stress from a hormonal point of view.