Physical activity and stress resilience: investigating the role of DLS-DRN pathway in stress response in female rats

• Grant number: 25/15504-1
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: January 01, 2026
• End date: April 30, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Morphology - Anatomy
• Principal Investigator: Marucia Chacur
• Grantee: Matias Cardoso Grande
• Supervisor: Michael Vincent Baratta
• Host Institution: Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas (ICB). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: University of Colorado Boulder, United States
• Associated to the scholarship: 25/08458-3 - Exploring Pain Management: Evaluation of Molecular, Physical, and Biochemical Mechanisms in Response to Photobiomodulation in a Model of Peripheral Neuropathy., BP.IC

Abstract

Neuropathic pain, a condition induced by damage to the nervous system, is prevalent in women and often exacerbated by chronic stress, yet sex-specific mechanisms remain understudied. Emerging evidence indicates that neural plasticity mechanisms, including those governed by the mTOR signaling pathway and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), may underlie both stress resilience and chronic pain modulation. Notably, mTOR and BDNF signaling influence synaptic remodeling and neuroimmune responses, which are critically shaped by hormonal fluctuations in females. Dr. Baratta's lab (University of Colorado at Boulder) has shown that female rats are more responsive to the stress-buffering effects of exercise than males, suggesting sex-specific engagement of neural circuits mediating resilience. This project investigates how voluntary physical activity promotes stress resilience in females via specific brain circuits, particularly the dorsolateral striatum (DLS) and its GABAergic projections to the dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) and examines the role of BDNF signaling and mTOR expression in these pathways. This study will contribute to identifying non-pharmacological strategies for chronic pain and stress-related disorders, with special relevance for female patients. (AU)