Sex differences in corticotropin-releasing factor receptor-1 action within the dorsal raphe nucleus in stress responsivity.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Women are twice as likely as men to suffer from stress-related affective disorders. Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) is an important link between stress and mood, in part through its signaling in the serotonergic dorsal raphe (DR). Development of CRF receptor-1 (CRFr1) antagonists has been a focus of numerous clinical trials but has not yet been proven efficacious. We hypothesized that sex differences in CRFr1 modulation of DR circuits might be key determinants in predicting therapeutic responses and affective disorder vulnerability.

Methods

Male and female mice received DR infusions of the CRFr1 antagonist, NBI 35965, or CRF and were evaluated for stress responsivity. Sex differences in indices of neural activation (cFos) and colocalization of CRFr1 throughou

SUBMITTER: Howerton AR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3997756 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature