Chronic Restraint Stress Misaligns Corneal Clock via β-Adrenergic and Glucocorticoid Signaling, Altering Epithelial, Neural, Immune, Metabolic States.

ABSTRACT:

Purpose

To determine whether chronic restraint stress (RS), a validated model of chronic psychological stress, disrupts the corneal circadian transcriptome and alters epithelial, neural, immune, and metabolic outputs, and to distinguish the relative contributions of β-adrenergic and glucocorticoid signaling.

Methods

Male C57BL/6J mice were subjected to RS for 2 h/day at ZT3 (Zeitgeber Time 3) for 14 consecutive days. Cohorts received either propranolol, metyrapone, or no intervention; non-stressed littermates served as controls. Systemic stress activation was confirmed via plasma levels of adrenocorticotropic hormone, corticosterone, epinephrine, and norepinephrine, along with superior cervical ganglion and adrenal gene expression. Whole corneas were collected every three ho

SUBMITTER: Xuan S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12720190 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature