Abstract
Corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) and vasopressin (AVP) colocalize in the parvocellular division of the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN). We examined the effect of forced swim-stress on the CRH and AVP primary transcript (hnRNA) levels in the rat PVN by semi-quantitative in situ hybridization. CRH hnRNA increased markedly following 10-min swim-stress and returned to the basal level by 2 h. AVP hnRNA in the parvocellular division of the PVN, where AVP colocalizes with CRH, did not change significantly immediately after the swim-stress, but it did increase significantly 2 h after the stress. Pretreatment with dexamethasone abolished the increases in CRH and AVP hnRNA levels after the swim-stress. The present results demonstrate the differential effects of forced swim-stress on the CRH and AVP gene transcription in the parvocellular PVN, confirming the diverse response of the dual peptide-containing system in the face of acute stressful events.
MeSH terms
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Animals
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Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone / genetics*
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Dexamethasone / pharmacology
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Gene Expression Regulation / drug effects
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Gene Expression Regulation / genetics
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Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System / drug effects
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Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System / metabolism
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Male
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Neurons / drug effects
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Neurons / metabolism
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Paraventricular Hypothalamic Nucleus / cytology
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Paraventricular Hypothalamic Nucleus / drug effects
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Paraventricular Hypothalamic Nucleus / metabolism*
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Pituitary-Adrenal System / drug effects
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Pituitary-Adrenal System / metabolism
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RNA, Messenger / metabolism*
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Rats
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Rats, Wistar
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Reaction Time / drug effects
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Reaction Time / genetics
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Stress, Physiological / metabolism*
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Stress, Physiological / physiopathology
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Swimming / physiology
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Transcription, Genetic / drug effects
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Transcription, Genetic / genetics
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Up-Regulation / drug effects
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Up-Regulation / genetics
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Vasopressins / genetics*
Substances
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RNA, Messenger
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Vasopressins
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Dexamethasone
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Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone