Investigation of the stress-induced synaptic changes and its molecular mechanism in the anterior cingulate cortex

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K08528
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Environmental physiology(including physical medicine and nutritional physiology)
• Research Institution: Saitama Medical University
• Principal Investigator: Yasushi Hojo 埼玉医科大学, 医学部, 助教 (20536875)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-10-21 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: 帯状回 / ストレス / グルココルチコイド受容体 / オシレーション

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), which is responsible for higher order process including attention, empathy and decision making, is vulnerable to stress. In the ACC, however, the site of action of glucocorticoid, released from adrenal upon stress, remains unclear. We identified the cell type which expresses glucocorticoid receptor in mouse ACC, i.e., glutametargic and GABAergic (parvalbumin- and somatostatin-positive) neurons. Neural circuits of these neurons mainly play a role in generating network oscillation which is associated with the higher order process in ACC above. We also investigated the effect of glucocorticoid on the network oscillation by using the mouse ACC slice. In glucocorticoid-treated group, the magnitude of dopamine-induced modulatory effect on oscillation power was suppressed, suggesting that glucocorticoid alters ACC function via dopaminergic system in ACC.

Free Research Field

神経科学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

ストレスに対して影響を受けやすいと言われていた前部帯状回において、ストレス時に分泌されるホルモンがどの種類の細胞に作用するかを明らかにした点、また、注意・共感・意思決定といった高次脳機能を発揮する際に観測される神経回路の発振現象が、このストレスホルモンによって変化することを明らかにした点。以上二点から、前部帯状回の高次機能がストレスによってどのように変化させられるのか、その解明につながることが期待される。