Fighting Females: Neural and Behavioral Consequences of Social Defeat Stress in Female Mice.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Despite the twofold higher prevalence of major depressive and posttraumatic stress disorders in women compared with men, most clinical and preclinical studies have focused on male subjects. We used an ethological murine model to study several cardinal symptoms of affective disorders in the female targets of female aggression.

Methods

Intact Swiss Webster (CFW) female resident mice were housed with castrated male mice and tested for aggression toward female intruders. For 10 days, aggressive CFW female residents defeated C57BL/6J (B6) female intruders during 5-minute encounters. Measures of corticosterone, c-Fos activation in hypothalamic and limbic structures, and species-typical behaviors were collected from defeated and control females. Ketamine (20 mg/kg) was t

SUBMITTER: Newman EL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6788975 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature