Behavioral and accumbens synaptic plasticity induced by cues associated with restraint stress.

ABSTRACT: Exposure to acute stress can increase vulnerability to develop or express many psychiatric disorders, including post-traumatic stress disorder. We hypothesized that stress-induced psychiatric vulnerability is associated with enduring neuroplasticity in the nucleus accumbens core because stress exposure can alter drug addiction-related behaviors that are associated with accumbens synaptic plasticity. We used a single 2-h stress session and 3 weeks later exposed male and female rats to stress-conditioned odors in a modified defensive burying task, and quantified both active and avoidant coping strategies. We measured corticosterone, dendritic spine and astrocyte morphology in accumbens, and examined reward sensitivity using a sucrose two-bottle choice and operant sucrose self-administration.

SUBMITTER: Garcia-Keller C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8357931 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature