Using in vivo MRI to reveal circuits that are sensitive to traumatic stress in male and female rats

IF 4.6 2区医学 Q1 NEUROSCIENCES

Neuropharmacology Pub Date : 2025-08-30 DOI:10.1016/j.neuropharm.2025.110655

Negin Mohammadmirzaei , Praveen Kulkarni , Matt Biddle , Xuezhu Cai , Khan Hekmatyar , Dayan Knox

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Background

Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is debilitating and more prevalent in women than men. While this suggests there are sex differences in the way neural systems respond to traumatic stress, identifying these systems are challenging. As such, studies designed to identify neural systems that are differentially sensitive to traumatic stress are needed.

Methods

We examined the impact of traumatic stress within a rat model (single prolonged stress (SPS)) on resting-state functional connectivity (rs-FC) and anatomical volume using in vivo MRI. Rs-FC and anatomical volume were measured before and after application of stress in male and female rats. Algorithmic, clustering, and GLM approaches were used to characterize how SPS changed rs-FC and volume across multiple neural systems.

Results

SPS decreased rs-FC within the DMN, within the hippocampus (Hipp), and increased rs-FC between the thalamus (th) and striatum. Changes in th-Hipp connectivity brought on by SPS were different in males and females, with decreased rs-FC between the mediodorsal thalamus (thMD) and ventral CA1 (vCA1) occurring in males, and increased rs-FC between the paraventricular thalamic nucleus (PV) and vCA1, and thMD and the dorsal dentate gyrus (dDG), occurring in female rats. In control rats dDG volume expanded from the pre-to post-stress scans and this expansion was inhibited in SPS animals.

Conclusions

The results of this study raise the possibility that sex differences in traumatic stress responsivity could manifest through thalamo-Hipp circuits. The results also raise the possibility that traumatic stress may inhibit natural volumetric expansions within the Hipp.

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利用体内核磁共振成像技术揭示雄性和雌性大鼠对创伤应激敏感的神经回路。

背景：创伤后应激障碍（PTSD）使人衰弱，女性比男性更普遍。虽然这表明神经系统对创伤压力的反应方式存在性别差异，但识别这些系统具有挑战性。因此，需要进行研究，以确定对创伤压力有不同敏感性的神经系统。方法：我们在大鼠模型（单次延长应激（SPS））中使用体内MRI检查了创伤应激对静息状态功能连接（rs-FC）和解剖体积的影响。测定雄性和雌性大鼠应激前后的Rs-FC和解剖体积。使用算法、聚类和GLM方法来表征SPS如何在多个神经系统中改变rs-FC和体积。结果：SPS降低DMN和海马（Hipp）内的rs-FC，增加丘脑（th）和纹状体之间的rs-FC。SPS引起的th-Hipp连接变化在雄性和雌性中存在差异，雄性大鼠丘脑中背侧核（thMD）与腹侧核（vCA1）之间的rs-FC减少，雌性大鼠室旁核（PV）与vCA1、thMD与背侧齿状回（dDG）之间的rs-FC增加。在对照大鼠中，dDG体积从应激前扫描到应激后扫描增大，而在SPS动物中，这种增大受到抑制。结论：本研究结果提出了创伤应激反应的性别差异可能通过丘脑- hipp回路表现出来。结果还提出了创伤应激可能抑制Hipp内自然体积扩张的可能性。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Neuropharmacology 医学-神经科学

CiteScore

10.00

自引率

4.30%

发文量

288

审稿时长

45 days

期刊介绍： Neuropharmacology publishes high quality, original research and review articles within the discipline of neuroscience, especially articles with a neuropharmacological component. However, papers within any area of neuroscience will be considered. The journal does not usually accept clinical research, although preclinical neuropharmacological studies in humans may be considered. The journal only considers submissions in which the chemical structures and compositions of experimental agents are readily available in the literature or disclosed by the authors in the submitted manuscript. Only in exceptional circumstances will natural products be considered, and then only if the preparation is well defined by scientific means. Neuropharmacology publishes articles of any length (original research and reviews).