Effects of repeated stress on regeneration of serotonergic and noradrenergic axons in the cerebral cortex of adult rats

Neurosci Lett. 2003 Mar 27;339(3):227-30. doi: 10.1016/s0304-3940(03)00014-4.

Abstract

We examined whether regeneration of serotonergic (5-HT) and noradrenergic (NA) axons might be affected by stress. Neurotoxins to 5-HT or NA axons were injected into the frontal cortex to cause partial denervation. Mild restraint stress (40 min/day) was started 16 days later and given for 14 consecutive days (30-day stressed group). Non-stressed animals were divided into two groups, animals sacrificed at 14 days (14-day control group) and those sacrificed at 30 days (30-day control group) after the toxin injection. In immunohistochemical study, the denervation area of 5-HT axons but not that of NA axons was significantly smaller in the 30-day control group than in the 14-day control group. However, there was no significant difference between the 14-day control and 30-day stressed groups. These findings suggested that regeneration of 5-HT axons occurred earlier than that of NA axons, and that stress exerted inhibitory influence on regeneration of 5-HT axons.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Axons / physiology*
  • Cerebral Cortex / physiology
  • Chronic Disease
  • Male
  • Nerve Regeneration / physiology*
  • Norepinephrine / physiology*
  • Rats
  • Rats, Sprague-Dawley
  • Serotonin / physiology*
  • Stress, Physiological / physiopathology*

Substances

  • Serotonin
  • Norepinephrine