Diurnal Fluctuations in HPA and Neuropeptide Y-ergic Systems Underlie Differences in Vulnerability to Traumatic Stress Responses at Different Zeitgeber Times

作者：Cohen Shlomi; Vainer Ella; Matar Michael A; Kozlovsky Nitsan; Kaplan Zeev; Zohar Joseph; Mathe Aleksander A; Cohen Hagit^*

来源：Neuropsychopharmacology, 2015, 40(3): 774-790.

DOI：10.1038/npp.2014.257

The hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis displays a characteristic circadian pattern of corticosterone release, with higher levels at the onset of the active phase and lower levels at the onset of the inactive phase. As corticosterone levels modify the response to stress and influence the susceptibility to and/or severity of stress-related sequelae, we examined the effects of an acute psychological trauma applied at different zeitgeber times (ZTs) on behavioral stress responses. Rats were exposed to stress either at the onset of the inactive(light) phase (ZT=0) or at the onset of the active-(dark) phase (ZT=12). Their behavior in the elevated plus-maze and acoustic startle response paradigms were assessed 7 days post exposure for retrospective classification into behavioral response groups. Serum corticosterone levels and the dexamethasone suppression test were used to assess the stress response and feedback inhibition of the HPA axis. Immunoreactivity for neuropeptide Y (NPY) and NPY-YI receptor (YIR) in the paraventricular (PVN) and arcuate (ARC) hypothalamic nuclei, hippocampus, and basolateral amygdala were measured. The behavioral effects of NPY/YIR antagonist microinfused into the PVN 30 min before stress exposure during the inactive or active phase, respectively, were evaluated. PVN immunoreactivity for NPY and YIR was measured I day after the behavioral tests. The time of day of the traumatic exposure markedly affected the pattern of the behavioral stress response and the prevalence of rats showing an extreme behavioral response. Rats exposed to the stressor at the onset of their inactive phase displayed a more traumatic behavioral response, faster post-exposure corticosterone decay, and a more pronounced stress-induced decline in NPY and YIR expression in the PVN and arcuate hypothalamic nuclei. Blocking PVN YIR before stress applied in the active phase, or administering NPY to the PVN before stress applied in the inactive phase, had a resounding behavioral effect. The time at which stress occurred significantly affected the behavioral stress response. Diurnal variations in HPA and NPY/YIR significantly affect the behavioral response, conferring more resilience at the onset of the active phase and more vulnerability at the onset of the inactive phase, implying that NPY has a significant role in conferring resilience to stress-related psychopathology.

• 出版日期2015-2
• 单位上海市精神卫生中心