Female-specific role of ciliary neurotrophic factor in the medial amygdala in promoting stress responses.

ABSTRACT: Ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) is produced by astrocytes which have been implicated in regulating stress responses. We found that CNTF in the medial amygdala (MeA) promotes despair or passive coping, i.e., immobility in an acute forced swim stress, in female mice, while having no effect in males. Neutralizing CNTF antibody injected into the MeA of wildtype females reduced activation of downstream STAT3 (Y705) 24 and 48 h later. In concert, the antibody reduced immobility in the swim test in females and only after MeA injection, but not when injected in the central or basolateral amygdala. Antibody injected into the male MeA did not affect immobility. These data reveal a unique role of CNTF in female MeA in promoting despair or passive coping behavior. Moreover, 4 weeks of chronic unpre

SUBMITTER: Jia C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8819478 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature