Nitric oxide synthase and nitric oxide alterations in chronically stressed rats: A model for nitric oxide in major depressive disorder

作者：Gao Shang Feng; Lu Yun Rong; Shi Li Gen; Wu Xue Yan; Sun Bo; Fu Xin Yan; Luo Jian Hong; Bao Ai Min^*

来源：Psychoneuroendocrinology, 2014, 47: 136-140.

DOI：10.1016/j.psynuebn.2014.05.009

• Chronic unpredictable stress
• Major depressive
• disorder
• Nitric oxide
• Nitric oxide synthase
• 1
• Paraventricular nucleus

Nitric oxide (NO) and NO synthase-1 (NOS1) are involved in the stress response and in depression. We compared NOS-NO alterations in rats exposed to chronic unpredictable stress (CUS) with alterations in major depressive disorder (MDD) in humans. In the hypothalamus of male CUS rats we determined NOS activity, and in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) we determined NOS1-immunoreactive (ir) cell densities and co-localization of NOS1 with stressrelated neuropeptides corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH), vasopressin (AVP) or oxytocin (OXT). We measured plasma NO levels and cortisol in male medicine-na ve MDD patients and plasma NO and corticosterone (CORT) in CUS rats. In the CUS rat total NOS activity in the hypothalamus (P=0.018) and NOS1-ir cell density in the PVN were both significantly decreased (P= 0.018), while NOS1 staining was mainly expressed in OXT-ir neurons in this nucleus. Interestingly, plasma NO levels were significantly increased both in male CUS rats (P=0.001) and in male MDD patients (P< 0.001). Plasma CORT levels were increased in male CUS rats (P=0.001), while male MDD patients did not show a significant change in cortisol levels. In conclusion, the in plasma and hypothalamic NOS NO of CUS rats and MDD were similar. The male CUS rat model may thus help us with our investigation of the mechanism underlying NOS NO alterations in depression.

• 出版日期2014-9
• 单位浙江大学; 徐州医科大学