2013 Fiscal Year Final Research Report
Molecular mechanisms of the enhancement of conditioned fear memory induced by maternal separation
| Project/Area Number |
24791248
|
|---|
| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
|
| Allocation Type | Multi-year Fund |
|---|
| Research Field |
Psychiatric science
|
|---|
| Research Institution | National Defense Medical College |
|---|
Principal Investigator |
TODA Hiroyuki 防衛医科大学校(医学教育部医学科進学課程及び専門課程、動物実験施設、共同利用研究, 医学教育部医学科専門課程, 助教 (00610677)
|
|---|
| Project Period (FY) |
2012-04-01 – 2014-03-31
|
| Keywords | ニューロテンシン / 扁桃体 / 恐怖条件付けモデル / エピジェネティクス / 母子分離ストレス |
|---|
| Research Abstract |
Stress during postnatal development is associated with an increased risk for depression and anxiety disorders later in life. With respect to conditioned fear, previous studies have indicated that early life stress influences its development in adulthood. The results showed that maternal separation (MS) enhanced freezing behaviors in fear-conditioned stress and reduced the gene expression of neurotensin receptor (NTSR) 1 in the amygdalas of adult rats. The microinjection of a NTSR1 antagonist into the amygdala increased the percentage of freezing in conditioned fear. Moreover, MS increased DNA methylation in the promoter region of NTSR1 in the amygdala. MS may leave epigenetic marks in the NTSR1 gene in the amygdala, which may enhance conditioned fear in adulthood. The MS-induced alternations of DNA methylation in the promoter region of NTSR1 in the amygdala may be associated with vulnerability to the development of anxiety disorders and depression in adulthood.
|
