Key result
Optogenetic activation of infralimbic glutamate neurons increased socio-motivational behaviors and reduced endocrine and cardiovascular stress responses in male rats, while increasing stress reactivity in females.
Why the study?
Depression and cardiovascular disease frequently co-occur with sex-based differences in incidence and severity, but the biological mechanisms linking these disorders remain poorly understood.
Does optogenetic stimulation of the infralimbic prefrontal cortex alter affective behaviors and cardiovascular responses to chronic stress in a sex-dependent manner in rats?
Does optogenetic stimulation of the infralimbic prefrontal cortex alter affective behaviors and cardiovascular responses to chronic stress in a sex-dependent manner in rats?
Cortical regulation of behavior, physiological stress responses, and cardiovascular outcomes fundamentally differ between sexes in a rodent model of chronic stress.
Should not yet alter clinical stress management; extends preclinical evidence of sex-dimorphic circuits and leaves human translation open.
Depression and cardiovascular disease reduce quality of life and increase mortality risk. These conditions commonly co-occur with sex-based differences in incidence and severity. However, the biological mechanisms linking the disorders are poorly understood. In the current study, we hypothesized that the infralimbic (IL) prefrontal cortex integrates mood-related behaviors with the cardiovascular burden of chronic stress. In a rodent model, we utilized optogenetics during behavior and in vivo physiological monitoring to examine how the IL regulates affect, social motivation, neuroendocrine-autonomic stress reactivity, and the cardiac consequences of chronic stress. Our results indicate that IL glutamate neurons increase socio-motivational behaviors specifically in males. IL activation also reduced endocrine and cardiovascular stress responses in males, while increasing reactivity in females. Moreover, prior IL stimulation protected males from subsequent chronic stress-induced sympatho-vagal imbalance and cardiac hypertrophy. Our findings suggest that cortical regulation of behavior, physiological stress responses, and cardiovascular outcomes fundamentally differ between sexes.
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Wallace et al. (2020) studied Chronic stress and affective-autonomic integration (n=86). Optogenetic stimulation of infralimbic prefrontal cortex vs. YFP control (no ChR2 expression) was evaluated on Socio-motivational behaviors, endocrine/cardiovascular stress responses, and cardiac hypertrophy. Optogenetic activation of infralimbic glutamate neurons increased socio-motivational behaviors and reduced endocrine and cardiovascular stress responses in male rats, while increasing stress reactivity in females.
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