摘要
Objective Corticotropin-releasing hormone（CRH）plays an important role in neuroendocrine,autonomic and behavioral responses to stressors.In the present study,the effect of chronic unpredictable mild stress（CUMS）on CRH neurons was investigated in rat brain.Methods The rats were exposed to one of the stressors each day for 21 d.Immunostaining was performed to detect the CRH-positive neurons in the paraventricular nucleus（PVN）of the hypothalamus and in amygdala.Results After the stress protocol,the animals showed a reduction in body weight gain as well as reduced sucrose preference and locomotor activity.Interestingly,the CRH neurons in both PVN and central nucleus of the amygdala（CeA）were stimulated by CUMS.The densities of CRH-containing neurons in both PVN and CeA were significantly higher than those in control group.Conclusion The CRH systems in PVN and CeA may both contribute to depression-like behaviors during CUMS.
目的观察在慢性不可预见性温和应激(chironic unpredictable mild stress,CUMS)下,大鼠下丘脑及杏仁核中促肾上腺皮质素释放激素(corticotropin-releasing hormone,CRH)神经元的激活状态,揭示抑郁症的部分发病机制。方法应用慢性不可预见性的温和刺激建立大鼠抑郁模型。用免疫组化技术观察与应激密切相关的下丘脑室旁核和杏仁核中神经元CRH的表达。结果CUMS大鼠的下丘脑室旁核和杏仁核均有大量的CRH阳性细胞及神经纤维,而对照组CRH阳性神经元很少。结论在抑郁的发生、发展过程中,不仅下丘脑室旁核的CRH神经元起着重要作用,杏仁核的CRH神经元也与应激反应及抑郁症发病机制密切相关。
