Environmental enrichment prevents acute restraint stress-induced anxiety-related behavior but not changes in basolateral amygdala spine density

Author(s)

Novaes, Leonardo Santana ^[1] ; dos Santos, Nilton Barreto ^[1] ; Perfetto, Juliano Genaro ^[1] ; Goosens, Ki Ann ^[2] ; Munhoz, Carolina Demarchi ^[1]

Affiliation

^[1] Univ Sao Paulo, Inst Biomed Sci, Dept Pharmacol, Av Prof Lineu Prestes 1524, Room 323, BR-05508000 Sao Paulo, SP - Brazil

^[2] Massachusetts Gen Hosp, Dept Neurol, Chaelestown, MA 02129 - USA

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: PSYCHONEUROENDOCRINOLOGY; v. 98, p. 6-10, DEC 2018.
• Web of Science Citations: 2

Abstract

Previous studies showed that acute restraint stress or transient elevation of glucocorticoid (GC) stress hormones produces emergent changes in both anxiety behavior and dendritic branches in the basolateral amygdala complex (BLA) of rats. In this work, we demonstrate that exposure to environmental enrichment (EE) prevented stress-induced increases in anxiety (emerging 10 days post-stress) in adult rats without blocking stress-induced dendritic branch remodeling in the BLA nor stress-induced enhancement of GC serum levels. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 16/03572-3 - The relationship between glucocorticoid receptor activation and the neuronal hyperexcitability in the basolateral amygdala in the restraint stress-induced long-lasting anxiety and their implications in the impaired contextual fear extinction
• Grantee: Carolina Demarchi Munhoz
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• FAPESP's process: 12/24727-4 - Comparison of the therapeutical effects of dexamethasone (a synthetic glucocorticoid analogue), and G1 (a G-coupled estrogen receptor, GPER agonist) on the EAE-induced neuroinflammation
• Grantee: Carolina Demarchi Munhoz
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• FAPESP's process: 12/24002-0 - Effects of environmental enrichment in long-lasting anxiety symptoms triggered by acute stress: implications in the emotional memory acquisition
• Grantee: Leonardo Santana Novaes
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate