The effects of chronic corticosterone treatment on hippocampal astrocyte numbers in male and female rats
| Authors | |
|---|---|
| Year of publication | 2005 |
| Type | Article in Periodical |
| Magazine / Source | Psychiatrie |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Field | Pharmacology and pharmaceutical chemistry |
| Keywords | corticosterone; astrocyte; rat; chronic stress |
| Description | The hippocampus is widely reported to be involved in the response to stress. High glucocorticoid serum levels have been associated with depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and some aspects of cognitive dysfunction in humans. Much of the research conducted has focused primarily on the use of male animals, with little investigation of possible sex differences. The aim of the present study was to assess whether chronic (21 days) corticosterone treatment produces changes in hippocampal astrocyte numbers in male and female rats.Corticosterone treatment produced a dose-dependent increase in the number of astrocytes in the CA1 region when compared to both controls and placebo-treated animals. No difference was found between control and placebo animals, suggesting that pellet implantation itself had no effect and that all astrocyte alterations were a result of corticosterone application. The effect of both doses of corticosterone did not differ between males and females. |
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