Identification of chronic stress-related subregions in the hippocampus and its monitoring

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 22K20697
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity Start-up
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: 0704:Neuroscience, brain sciences, and related fields
• Research Institution: Tokyo University of Science
• Principal Investigator: Suzuki Kanzo 東京理科大学, 先進工学部生命システム工学科, 助教 (80961961)
• Project Period (FY): 2022-08-31 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: うつ病 / ストレス / 海馬 / 最初期遺伝子

Outline of Final Research Achievements

To identify key brain subregions in the hippocampus of mice that are involved in chronic stress, in this study, we chronically applied stress to mice and analyzed the expressions of neuronal activity markers immediately early genes. Initially, we provided a chronic social defeat stress mouse model. In addition, corticosterone was chronically administrated to mice since corticosterone is one of the stress hormones. We observed that chronic stressed mice shows depressive-like or anxiety-like behaviors. Based on the results of immediate early gene expression, we find that the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus is one of brain areas involved in chronic stress. These findings may uncover key mechanisms of the pathophysiology of depression.

Free Research Field

分子神経科学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

うつ病を含む精神疾患の発症のメカニズムは未だ不明な点が多い。本研究で同定した海馬歯状回はヒトうつ病の病態と関りがあることが示唆されている。今後、神経回路レベルまで解析を進める、慢性ストレスにおける歯状回を中心とした神経回路基盤を理解することにより、うつ病の病態の理解や治療法の開発の一端となることが期待される。