A study to clarify the role of emotional stress for the pathogenesis of mood disorders

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24591673
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Psychiatric science
• Research Institution: Hokkaido University
• Principal Investigator: INOUE TAKESHI 北海道大学, 医学(系)研究科(研究院), 准教授 (70250438)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: 気分障害 / 恐怖条件付け / 情動ストレス / mirtazapine / 正中縫線核 / 扁桃体 / neurotensin受容体1 / retinoic acid受容体α

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We clarified the mechanism of the anxiolytic action of mirtazapine, a new antidepressant, by using an animal model of emotional stress. We showed that the anxiolytic effect of mirtazapine is mediated by the α2 antagonism in the median raphe nucleus and that subchronic lithium enhances the anxiolytic effect of mirtazapine. We developed the new unique animal model of depression that consists of maternal separation and chronic mild stress and conducted behavioral and molecular biological experiments in this model. Our results showed that maternal separation decreased the mRNA expression of neurotensin receptor 1 in the adult amygdala and retinoic acid receptor α in the adult dentate gyrus-derived neural precursor cells.

Free Research Field

医歯薬学