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PACAP: A potential modulator of adrenal‐level HPA responses to acute and chronic stress
Author(s) -
Valdez Matthew Christopher,
CurrasCollazo Margarita,
Jha Vidyasagar,
Kouch Justin,
Spurgin Kurt
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.27.1_supplement.lb851
Subject(s) - medicine , endocrinology , melanocortin , adrenocorticotropic hormone , pituitary adenylate cyclase activating peptide , adrenal gland , adenylate kinase , receptor , hormone , chemistry , neuropeptide , vasoactive intestinal peptide
Pituitary adenylate cyclase‐activating polypeptide (PACAP) is involved in hypothalamo‐pituitary‐adrenal (HPA) responses to stress but it's role at the adrenal level is unclear. Gene markers of HPA activation were measured by qPCR using adrenal glands of C57Bl6 and PACAP knockout (KO) mice. Restraint stress (1 hr) increased adrenal PACAP (p=0.01, n=13), steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (STAR) (p=0.02, n=7) and melanocortin receptor accessory protein (MRAP) mRNA (p=0.0003, n=8). Isolation stress for 8 weeks did not impact adrenal PACAP mRNA (p=0.27, n=22). However, isolation stress in PACAP KO mice increased adrenal adrenocorticotropic hormone receptor, melanocortin 2 (MC2R) mRNA (p=0.04, n=9) and MRAP (p=0.01, n=19) but not STAR and CYP11B1, which encodes for steroid 11β‐hydroxylase. Consistent with an association between elevated HPA activity and hyperactivity, PACAP KO mice showed a significant increase in distance traveled and velocity during 1 hr open field trial (p<0.0001; n=10). These results show that PACAP participates in adrenal HPA responses to acute and chronic stress via potentially different mechanisms. Support: UCMEXUS (KS, MC), Sigma Xi Research Society (KS), and APS (VJ, MV).