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Divergence in depressive symptom severity and vascular dysfunction with gender in rats with unpredictable chronic mild stress (680.20)
Author(s) -
Stanley Shyla,
Brooks Steven,
Butcher Joshua,
D'Audiffret Alexandre,
Skaff Paulina,
Chantler Paul,
Frisbee Jefferson
Publication year - 2014
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.28.1_supplement.680.20
Subject(s) - medicine , endothelial dysfunction , chronic stress , endocrinology , methacholine , anhedonia , endothelium , cardiology , respiratory disease , lung , dopamine
Chronic stress leads to many negative health outcomes proportional to the severity of developed depressive symptoms. This includes vascular reactivity, as endothelial function is compromised by 8 weeks of unpredictable chronic mild stress (UCMS). To extend this, we imposed 8 weeks of UCMS on healthy rats of both genders from 9 weeks of age. In males, plasma cortisol and depressive symptom severity (coat status, anhedonia, delayed grooming) were elevated. Endothelial‐dependent dilation to methacholine/acetylcholine was impaired in conduit arteries/skeletal muscle arterioles, indicating a near complete loss of NO bioavailability and increased production of TxA2 with elevated ROS. Endothelium‐independent dilation was intact. However, in females, depressive symptoms and plasma cortisol increases were more severe, although impairments to vascular reactivity were attenuated. The effects of elevated ROS and constrictor prostanoids were also blunted. These results suggest that, in comparison to males, female rats are more susceptible to chronic stress in terms of the severity of depressive behaviors, but that the subsequent development of vasculopathy is blunted. Grant Funding Source : Supported by National Institutes of Health and American Heart Association