Regulation of the nicotinic receptor alpha7 subunit by chronic stress and corticosteroids.

ABSTRACT: The alpha7 subunit of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (NAchRalpha7) is one of the principal brain receptors for nicotine and is thought to be a mediator of nicotine's pro-cognitive effects. While nicotine is known to interact with the stress axis, little is known about the effect of stress or corticosteroids on the expression in the hippocampus, a brain region important to both cognition and stress reactivity. We examined the effects of chronic (21 day) restraint stress (CRS) and adrenalectomy with hormone replacement with the selective mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) agonist aldosterone, the selective glucocorticoid receptor (GR) agonist RU28,362 or corticosterone for 7 days, on the hippocampal expression of NAchRalpha7 mRNA and protein, as measured by (125)I alpha-Bungarotoxin autor

SUBMITTER: Hunter RG 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2856334 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature