In rats stressed during adolescence, this region showed lower expression levels of key genes in the respiratory function of mitochondria. These organelles are the main producers of chemical energy for the functioning of neurons, the fundamental cells of the brain. This reinforces the involvement of mitochondria as regulators of social behaviors, including the response to stress.
The search, supported by FAPESP, analyzed, in a first stage, the behavioral consequences of stress – anxietysociability and cognition – in rats in late adolescence.
To achieve this, the animals were exposed to a stress protocol for ten consecutive days, coinciding with an intense period of brain plasticity. Subsequently, the animals underwent specific evaluations, which showed marked losses in all behavioral tests.
We observed that, at this stage of life, stressed animals presented, in a more pronounced way, a poor behavioral profile, with anxiety and a decrease in sociability and cognitive function.
Felipe Villela Gomes, professor at the Department of Pharmacology at FMRP-USP and study coordinator
To assess whether these variations were also reflected in gene expression, RNA samples were sent to the Behavioral Genetics Laboratory of the Brain Mind Institute at the Federal Polytechnic School of Lausanne (Switzerland), led by professor and researcher Carmen Sandi.
2023-12-10 11:31:34
#stress #adolescence #psychiatric #illness #adults
