Glucocorticoid Receptor mRNA Expression in the Hippocampal Formation of Male Rats before and after Pubertal Development in Response to Acute or Repeated Stress

Romeo, R. D., Ali, F. S., Karatsoreos, I. N., Bellani, R., Chhua, N., Vernov, M., & McEwen, B. S. (2008). Glucocorticoid Receptor mRNA Expression in the Hippocampal Formation of Male Rats before and after Pubertal Development in Response to Acute or Repeated Stress. Neuroendocrinology, 87(3), 160-167. doi:10.1159/000109710
In lecture, we saw and heard how stress can impact the health of an individual (i.e. increased risk for heart disease and diabetes). Following along that same concept, I wanted to know the effect of stress at an earlier age against the stress experienced at a later stage. Glucocorticoid recepetors in the brain are important in the hippocampus and determine genetically what happens in the hippocampus. If stress is high, these receptors activate more and are more populous. Therefore, taking the account of how active these receptors are can allow reseachers to know the amount of stress the indvidual underwent. The researchers completed two sets of experiments. The experimenters operationally defined stress as being placed in a restraint made of wire mesh. In the first experiment, the researchers exposed prepubertal rats and adult rats to acute, short-term stress which they defined as only having the stress occur once. Generally after going through this actue stress, the brain samples were placed on slides, either immediately after or 45 minutes after the stress ended. In the second experiment, the long term, repeated stress occured over one week, then samples were taken, like before either right after the stress ended or 45 minutes after the stress ended. What the research finds is that Glucocortiroid receptors in the hippocampus are more similar than different among prepubesant rats versus adult rats. Meaning on a physiological level, adults and their younger countrerparts experienced the same stress similarly.