2010 Fiscal Year Final Research Report
Development of a chronic stress-induced low-grade fever animal model and its mechanisms
Project/Area Number |
20590711
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Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
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Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
Section | 一般 |
Research Field |
General internal medicine (including Psychosomatic medicine)
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Research Institution | Kyushu University |
Principal Investigator |
OKA Takakazu Kyushu University, 大学院・医学研究院, 准教授 (60291514)
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Project Period (FY) |
2008 – 2010
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Keywords | 心因性発熱 / ストレス性高体温症 / 慢性疲労症候群 / 心身症 / 不明熱 / うつ病 |
Research Abstract |
To obtain a better understanding of patients with persistent low-grade fever that develops in psychosocially stressful situations, we aimed to develop a stress-induced chronic low-grade fever (hyperthermia) animal model. We measured core body temperature (Tc) in male Wistar rats after they were subjected to 4 social defeat periods (each period consisting of 7 daily 1 h stress exposures during the light cycle followed by a stress-free day). After 4 periods of social defeat, stressed rats showed a small but significantly higher (+0.2-0.3℃) Tc versus control rats during both light and dark periods. They also showed depression-like behavior. Hyperthermia and depression-like behavior were still observed 8 days after cessation of the final social defeat session. These results suggest that repeated social defeat stress induces a chronic hyperthermia in rats that is associated with behavior resembling depression.
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