Regional differences in brain-derived neurotrophic factor levels and dendritic spine density confer resilience to inescapable stress

Chun Yang; Yukihiko Shirayama; Ji-Chun Zhang; Qian Ren; Kenji Hashimoto

doi:10.1093/ijnp/pyu121

Regional differences in brain-derived neurotrophic factor levels and dendritic spine density confer resilience to inescapable stress

Int J Neuropsychopharmacol. 2015 Jan 7;18(7):pyu121. doi: 10.1093/ijnp/pyu121.

Authors

Chun Yang¹, Yukihiko Shirayama¹, Ji-Chun Zhang¹, Qian Ren¹, Kenji Hashimoto²

Affiliations

¹ Division of Clinical Neuroscience, Chiba University Center for Forensic Mental Health, Chiba, Japan (Drs Yang, Shirayama, Zhang, Ren, and Hashimoto); Department of Psychiatry, Teikyo University Chiba Medical Center, Ichihara, Japan (Dr Shirayama).
² Division of Clinical Neuroscience, Chiba University Center for Forensic Mental Health, Chiba, Japan (Drs Yang, Shirayama, Zhang, Ren, and Hashimoto); Department of Psychiatry, Teikyo University Chiba Medical Center, Ichihara, Japan (Dr Shirayama). hashimoto@faculty.chiba-u.jp.

Abstract

Background: In the learned helplessness (LH) paradigm, approximately 35% of rats are resilient to inescapable stress.

Methods: The roles of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and dendritic spine density in the brain regions of LH (susceptible) and non-LH rats (resilient) were examined. Western blot analysis and Golgi staining were performed.

Results: BDNF levels in the medial prefrontal cortex, CA3, and dentate gyrus (DG) were significantly lower in the LH group than in the control and non-LH groups, whereas BDNF levels in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) in the LH group but not the non-LH group were significantly higher than those in the control group. Furthermore, spine density in the prelimbic cortex, CA3, and DG was significantly lower in the LH group than in the control and non-LH groups, although spine density in the NAc was significantly higher in the LH group than in the control and non-LH groups.

Conclusions: The results suggest that regional differences in BDNF levels and spine density in rat brain may contribute to resilience to inescapable stress.

Keywords: BDNF; depression; learned helplessness; resilience; spine density.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Retracted Publication

MeSH terms

Animals
Behavior, Animal
Blotting, Western
Brain / metabolism*
Brain / pathology
Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / metabolism*
CA3 Region, Hippocampal / metabolism
Dendritic Spines / pathology*
Dentate Gyrus / metabolism
Helplessness, Learned*
Male
Nucleus Accumbens / metabolism
Prefrontal Cortex / metabolism
Rats
Rats, Sprague-Dawley
Silver Staining / methods
Stress, Psychological / metabolism
Stress, Psychological / pathology
Stress, Psychological / psychology*

Substances

Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor