Stress-The International Journal on the Biology of Stress最新文献

{"title":"Stress-induced gene expression and corticosterone release in adolescent and adult male and female rats after acute or repeated restraint.","authors":"Francine F Burke, Amanda M Leonetti, Jesse M Lacasse, Fardad Pirri, Cheryl M McCormick","doi":"10.1080/10253890.2026.2614119","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/10253890.2026.2614119","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Adolescence is a sensitive window for the maturation of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis function; however, the timing and mechanisms underlying this transition remain unclear, particularly in females and in response to repeated homotypic stress. We measured corticosterone (CORT) release and glucocorticoid-related gene expression in postpubertal (P45) and adult (P75) male and female rats after acute or repeated restraint. In males, adolescents elicited higher CORT responses than adults did after acute stress, although both ages showed habituation to repeated restraint. In contrast, females exhibited adult-like CORT responses by P45 and no evidence of habituation. At the molecular level, adolescents of both sexes displayed distinct medial prefrontal cortex and ventral hippocampus expression profiles of glucocorticoid receptor (<i>Nr3c1</i>) and co-chaperones (<i>Fkbp4</i>, <i>Fkbp5</i>) relative to adults, though these effects were more pronounced in females, for whom there were also age- and stress-dependent changes in mineralocorticoid receptor (<i>Nr3c2</i>) expression. These findings suggest that while hormonal stress responses mature earlier in females than in males, sex-specific trajectories of molecular regulation continue to develop into late adolescence, potentially shaping long-term vulnerability to stress-related disorders.</p>","PeriodicalId":51173,"journal":{"name":"Stress-The International Journal on the Biology of Stress","volume":"29 1","pages":"2614119"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2026-12-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145959319","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Interoception, blood pressure, and pain: unraveling their interaction under stressful and resting conditions.","authors":"A Salaris, S Ravenda, H Al-Naqshbandi, L Provenzano, M C Gerra, E Mattei, G Calcagnini, C Ottaviani, L Carnevali, G Porciello","doi":"10.1080/10253890.2026.2666045","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/10253890.2026.2666045","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Elevated blood pressure is commonly linked to diminished pain perception, a phenomenon known as <i>blood pressure-related hypoalgesia</i>. Interoception, the ability to perceive and interpret internal bodily signals, has been previously linked to both blood pressure and pain perception, although findings in the literature remain mixed. We investigated the relationship between blood pressure, pain perception, and interoception under both non-stressful (Pilot Study) and stressful (Main Study) conditions. In the Pilot Study, resting measures of blood pressure, pain thresholds and interoception were assessed in 26 healthy participants. Regression analysis revealed that higher systolic blood pressure was associated with increased pain thresholds, in line with previous findings. In the Main Study, the same variables were assessed in 46 healthy participants at rest and when a stress condition was induced by a validated virtual reality stress paradigm (i.e. the IMVEST). The effectiveness of the stress induction was confirmed through physiological measures (heart rate, heart rate variability, cortisol) and psychological assessments (perceived stress). No significant changes in blood pressure or pain threshold were observed following stress exposure. However, moderation analyses revealed that systolic blood pressure moderated the relationship between interoceptive beliefs (measured via the MAIA questionnaire) and pain perception: a positive association between the tendency to notice internal bodily sensations and pain threshold emerged only in individuals with high systolic blood pressure. This relationship was not observed in individuals with average or low systolic blood pressure. Taken together, these findings suggest that individual differences in cardiovascular physiology and interoceptive processes may shape pain perception.</p>","PeriodicalId":51173,"journal":{"name":"Stress-The International Journal on the Biology of Stress","volume":"29 1","pages":"2666045"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2026-12-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147845712","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Valproic acid effects on stress-induced depression-like behavior in rodent models: a systematic review and meta-analysis.","authors":"Mina Goudarzi, Leila Mohammadi, Masoomeh Sharifi, Michael R Hamblin, Fatemeh Ramezani","doi":"10.1080/10253890.2026.2641561","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/10253890.2026.2641561","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Depression is one of the most common health concerns all around the globe. Valproic acid (VPA) is an anticonvulsant agent, with neuroprotective, anti-apoptotic, anti-inflammatory, and antidepressant effects in animal models. We carried out a systematic review of articles that reported the effect of VPA on stress-related depression in animal models. A search of databases was conducted with keywords related to valproic acid (VPA) and stress-induced depression. Data from the Forced Swimming Test (FST), Open Field Test (OFT), Novel Object Recognition (NOR), and Sucrose Preference Test (SPT) were extracted. Meta-analysis was conducted using Stata 14, and standardized mean differences (SMD) were calculated. Quality control and subgroup analysis were carried out. Meta-analysis of FST results obtained from 16 separate experiments showed that VPA had a strong effect in reducing the percentage immobility, signifying lower stress compared to the untreated group (SMD = -0.93; 95% CI = -1.66 to -0.21; <i>p</i> = 0.012). When administered via injection for four consecutive weeks, VPA at a dosage of 300 mg/kg/day significantly decreased depressive symptoms. Results from the vertical OFT in seven studies and the horizontal OFT in six studies indicated that VPA increased movement scores. SPT results in nine separate experiments showed that VPA significantly increased the animals' desire to drink sucrose water. Analysis of the NOR test demonstrated that VPA had no significant effects on the ability of animals to identify a new object. Our findings suggest that VPA can exert antidepressant-like effects in rat models of stress-induced depression, but heterogeneity and potential publication bias suggests caution is required.</p>","PeriodicalId":51173,"journal":{"name":"Stress-The International Journal on the Biology of Stress","volume":"29 1","pages":"2641561"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2026-12-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147460827","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Safety and efficacy of ashwagen (a standardized withania somnifera extract) in stress and anxiety with hypertension and associated cardiometabolic risk factors: a randomized, placebo-controlled trial.","authors":"Amrit Pattojoshi, Sudeep Kumar Patra, S A Idrees, Saiprasanna Behera, Snigdha Suman Dalua, Poorva Tiwari, Ramachandran Valavan","doi":"10.1080/10253890.2026.2669544","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/10253890.2026.2669544","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Stress and anxiety are prevalent mental health conditions that often coexist with cardiovascular comorbidities, resulting in a complex interplay between psychological and physiological processes, partly mediated through activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. Ashwagen®, a standardized extract of <i>Withania somnifera</i> (Ashwagandha), has demonstrated adaptogenic and anxiolytic properties in preclinical and clinical studies. This study aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of Ashwagen® in managing stress and anxiety in patients with pre-existing hypertension and associated cardiometabolic risk factors. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase III clinical trial was conducted over 60 days in 60 patients diagnosed with stress, anxiety, and pre-existing hypertension with cardiometabolic risk profiles. Participants received either Ashwagen® (300 mg capsule) or placebo twice daily. Efficacy assessments included validated psychological scales-Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A), Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), Clinical Global Impression-Improvement (CGI-I), Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), and Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS)-along with serum cortisol, triglycerides, LDL, and blood pressure measurements. Ashwagen® significantly reduced anxiety and stress markers compared with placebo. HAM-A, GAD-7, and PSS scores decreased by 26.94%, 50.77%, and 30.47%, respectively, in the Ashwagen® group. Cortisol levels declined by 28.99% and triglycerides by 13.00%, with favorable trends in LDL and blood pressure. No serious adverse events were reported. Ashwagen® was found to be a safe and effective adjunctive integrative intervention for stress and anxiety management in patients with pre-existing hypertension.</p>","PeriodicalId":51173,"journal":{"name":"Stress-The International Journal on the Biology of Stress","volume":"29 1","pages":"2669544"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2026-12-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147864713","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Development of a novel analysis method for evaluating PTSD-like behavior in mice based on DSM-V criteria.","authors":"Heather Holman, Kaylee Eggert, Ying Xiong, Paul J Nietert, Sara J Sidles, Ryan R Kelly, Amanda C LaRue, Patrick J Mulholland, Jennifer A Rinker, Jeffrey A Jones","doi":"10.1080/10253890.2025.2612332","DOIUrl":"10.1080/10253890.2025.2612332","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) occurs after exposure to a traumatic event, leading to debilitating symptoms, including avoidance, hypervigilance, and functional impairment. There is a paucity of effective therapies to treat PTSD, partially due to the difficulty in identifying consistent underlying mechanisms. Using a modified single prolonged stress (mSPS) paradigm combined with single housing to induce both acute fear conditioning and chronic stress in mice, we developed a novel analysis method to robustly define a PTSD-like phenotype based on the criteria from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition (DSM-V). Following mSPS exposure, C57BL/6NHsd mice underwent behavioral testing to examine each of the criteria of PTSD according to the DSM-V. Specific parameters with the largest effect sizes between mSPS and non-mSPS mice were chosen. Absolute <i>z</i>-scores were generated for each behavioral parameter, and mSPS mice whose <i>z</i>-scores were outside the 85th confidence interval for at least one parameter for each of the eight criteria were defined as susceptible; the remainder of the exposed mice were considered resilient. Finally, resilient mice were evaluated for anhedonia and hyperlocomotive behaviors. The results demonstrated that a PTSD-like phenotype can be robustly defined in mice based on all 8 DSM-V criteria. Importantly, 29.76% of mSPS mice were classified as susceptible, which is similar to the incidence observed in humans exposed to trauma. This novel behavioral analysis method may assist in better defining a PTSD-like phenotype, identifying a more robust population, which may help facilitate the discovery of the underlying mechanism(s) of PTSD and its association with other comorbidities.</p>","PeriodicalId":51173,"journal":{"name":"Stress-The International Journal on the Biology of Stress","volume":"29 1","pages":"2612332"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2026-12-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145946694","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Harsh parenting and rs11621961 at the <i><i>SERPINA6/1</i></i> locus: gene-environment interaction effects on hair cortisol in a Brazilian population-based longitudinal study.","authors":"Laísa Camerini, Joseph Murray, Alicia Matijasevich, Mariana Otero Xavier, Carolina Bonilla, Júlia Pasqualini Genro, Andrea Gonzalez, Luís Augusto Rohde, Laura Moreira Goularte, Iná S Santos, Isabel O Oliveira, Sarah L Halligan, Luciana Tovo-Rodrigues","doi":"10.1080/10253890.2025.2611613","DOIUrl":"10.1080/10253890.2025.2611613","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Hair cortisol concentration (HCC) reflects long-term hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activity and is a biomarker of chronic stress. Although HCC has been linked to mental health, less is known about how genetic susceptibility and early adversity jointly influence cortisol regulation, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). This study examined whether harsh parenting predicts adolescent HCC and whether this association is moderated by genetic variation. Data were drawn from 1,823 participants in the 2004 Pelotas (Brazil) Birth Cohort, followed at ages 6, 11, and 15. Genetic data were obtained using the Illumina Global Screening Array v2, and HCC was measured at age 15 using ELISA. Harsh parenting was assessed using the Conflict Tactics Scales: Parent-Child Version, and cumulative exposure was analyzed using linear regression models. Gene-by-environment interaction analyses tested whether rs11621961 moderated the association between harsh parenting and HCC. Greater cumulative exposure to harsh parenting, particularly overall harsh parenting and corporal punishment, was associated with higher HCC at age 15. Evidence of G × E interaction indicated stronger associations among individuals carrying more copies of the T allele, suggesting a gene-dosage effect. These findings highlight how genetic susceptibility may amplify the physiological consequences of early-life stress in LMIC settings.</p>","PeriodicalId":51173,"journal":{"name":"Stress-The International Journal on the Biology of Stress","volume":"29 1","pages":"2611613"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2026-12-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145906881","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Maternal prepregnancy body mass index predicts allostatic load in adult offspring: findings from an Australian birth cohort.","authors":"Beena Suvarna, Oyelola Adegboye, Sabine Finlay, Abdullah Ai Mamun, Robert-Paul Juster, Brett McDermott, Zoltan Sarnyai","doi":"10.1080/10253890.2026.2669543","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/10253890.2026.2669543","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Maternal pre- or early-pregnancy obesity is a risk factor for adverse health outcomes not only in the mother but also for the child later in life. It can lead to sustained and inappropriate stimulation of regulatory circuits, eventually resulting in multisystem dysregulation, termed allostatic load (AL). We hypothesized that maternal prepregnancy weight status, as measured by body mass index (BMI), exerts long-lasting effects on offspring, potentially resulting in elevated AL. Using data from the Mater University of Queensland Study of Pregnancy (MUSP), a longitudinal birth cohort (>8500 pregnant women), we investigate the association between maternal prepregnancy BMI and AL in adult offspring at age 30. Analyses were conducted in a subsample of 923 offspring with complete biomarker data, from whom an AL index capturing 17 multisystem physiological dysregulations was constructed. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was used to examine pathways linking maternal prepregnancy BMI to offspring AL index (ALI). Lower maternal socioeconomic status (SES) was associated with higher maternal BMI. Maternal prepregnancy BMI was positively associated with offspring AL index (<i>β</i> = 0.17, standard error (SE) = 0.01, <i>p</i> < 0.001), whereas mental health risk factors did not mediate this relationship. These findings suggest that maternal metabolic status at pre- and early-pregnancy exerts a long-lasting effect on offspring physiology, independent of maternal SES and mental health. Our findings underscore the practical importance of maternal weight management before pregnancy to support optimal offspring development.</p>","PeriodicalId":51173,"journal":{"name":"Stress-The International Journal on the Biology of Stress","volume":"29 1","pages":"2669543"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2026-12-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147845766","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Activity dynamics in the NPY neuronal signaling of mPFC in response to an air puff.","authors":"Eugene Dimitrov, Ted Usdin, Janice H Urban","doi":"10.1080/10253890.2026.2666067","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/10253890.2026.2666067","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;These studies were designed to elucidate the role of NPY in modulating the responses of mPFC to acute stress in mice. Fiberoptic photometry recorded a robust increase in the NPY fluorescent signal in the mPFC during exploration of the elevated O-maze (EOM). An application of a single air puff (stressor) increased anxiety-like behavior and was associated with a decreased NPY signal in the mPFC. Antagonism of Y1 receptors (Y1r) in the mPFC with BIBO3304 decreased time spent in the open compartments of the EOM, identifying a role for endogenous NPY in modulating anxiety-like behavior. While the chemogenetic actuation of local parvalbumin neurons (PVs) increased anxiety-like behavior, an injection of NPY into the mPFC decreased the Ca&lt;sup&gt;2+&lt;/sup&gt; signal detected from PVs in response to the stressor, an indication of NPY-mediated inhibition of PVs. Injection of NPY into the mPFC increased, while injection of BIBO3304 decreased, the Ca&lt;sup&gt;2+&lt;/sup&gt; signal detected from mPFC→BLA projections in response to the air puff stress. Viral tracing demonstrated that, while NPY neurons in the mPFC receive monosynaptic input from many brain regions, their axonal output is restricted to layers of the mPFC, with one of the targets being local PVs. These results demonstrate that ongoing inhibition of PV activity in the mPFC by NPY via Y1r influences anxiety-like activity in mice, likely through strengthening mPFC output to the BLA. Subjecting animals to an acute stress disrupts this circuitry, providing further and new support for a role of NPY in the mPFC and the modulation of stress-related behaviors. These studies were designed to elucidate the role of NPY in modulating the responses of mPFC microcircuitry to acute stress in mice. Using an NPY biosensor in the mPFC, fiberoptic photometry recorded a robust increase in the NPY fluorescent signal during exploration of the elevated O-maze (EOM). An application of a single air puff (stressor) increased anxiety-like behavior in the EOM and was associated with a decreased NPY signal in the mPFC, supporting a possible link between NPY signaling and levels of anxiety. Antagonism of Y1 receptors (Y1r) in the mPFC with BIBO3304 decreased time spent in the open compartments of the EOM, identifying a role for endogenous NPY in modulating anxiety-like behavior. The chemogenetic actuation of local parvalbumin neurons (PVs) increased anxiety-like behavior. Conversely, an injection of NPY into the mPFC decreased the Ca&lt;sup&gt;2+&lt;/sup&gt; signal detected from PVs in response to the stressor, an indication of NPY-mediated inhibition of PVs. Injection of NPY into the mPFC significantly increased, while injection of BIBO3304 decreased, the Ca&lt;sup&gt;2+&lt;/sup&gt; signal detected from mPFC→BLA projections in response to the air puff stress. Viral tracing demonstrated that, while NPY neurons in the mPFC receive monosynaptic input from many brain regions, their axonal output is restricted to layers of the mPFC, with one of the targets being loc","PeriodicalId":51173,"journal":{"name":"Stress-The International Journal on the Biology of Stress","volume":"29 1","pages":"2666067"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2026-12-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147788523","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Early-life stress alters adult social and coping behaviors in a sex-specific and domain-dependent manner.","authors":"Ernest Cote, Matthew Kodsi, Juan Marcos Alarcon","doi":"10.1080/10253890.2025.2611616","DOIUrl":"10.1080/10253890.2025.2611616","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Early Life Stress (ELS) increases the risk for mental health issues in humans, notably in major depression and anxiety disorders. ELS is frequently modeled in laboratory rodents by disrupting the early postnatal environment. Literature on ELS is expanding, yet studies on sex-specific differences remain mixed. We utilized a novel ELS protocol that subjected mouse pups of both sexes to maternal separation and removed pup-to-pup contact comfort during postnatal days 10 to 17. We hypothesized that this ELS protocol would induce depressive and anxiety-like phenotypes persisting into adulthood, with greater vulnerability in females. A second cohort reared under normal conditions until adulthood was subjected to forced swim, mimicking adult-onset stress (AS). ELS, AS, and control animals (reared under normal conditions) underwent open field, social interaction, and tail suspension tests. In open field, AS mice spent significantly less time in center than controls. Social interaction showed significant effects of treatment and sex, with stress exposure increasing familiar-mouse interaction time and reducing the sex difference observed in controls. Tail suspension testing revealed a significant decrease in latency to immobility for stress groups compared to controls. Total time immobile showed significant group and interaction effects, with stress groups showing more time immobile. Both social interaction and tail suspension revealed a sex difference in controls, eliminated in stress groups. This ELS protocol produces lasting alterations in adult social and coping-related behaviors and demonstrates multiple sex-specific outcomes.</p>","PeriodicalId":51173,"journal":{"name":"Stress-The International Journal on the Biology of Stress","volume":"29 1","pages":"2611616"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2026-12-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145901730","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Association between allostatic load and thyroid function in U.S. adults: a cross-sectional study based on NHANES data.","authors":"Dai Zhuolin, Huang Chun, Xinliang Su","doi":"10.1080/10253890.2026.2653858","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/10253890.2026.2653858","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Chronic stress may contribute to endocrine dysregulation. The allostatic load (AL), an indicator of cumulative physiological burden across multiple systems, has unclear associations with thyroid function. We analyzed 5525 adults (2678 men and 2847 women) from NHANES 2007-2010. The participants were categorized into allostatic load score (ALS) quartiles: Q1 (<i>n</i> = 2582), Q2 (<i>n</i> = 1394), Q3 (<i>n</i> = 1003), and Q4 (<i>n</i> = 546). The ALS was constructed from eight cardiovascular, metabolic, and inflammatory biomarkers. Thyroid function was assessed (TSH, FT3, FT4, TgAb, and TPOAb) and categorized as thyroid dysfunction. Survey-weighted multivariable linear and logistic models estimated associations; trend tests and restricted cubic splines (RCS) assessed linearity. Subgroup and interaction analyses examined effect modification, and sensitivity analyses evaluated robustness. ALS was positively associated with higher TSH (<i>β</i> = 0.038, 95% CI: 0.019-0.057, <i>p</i> = 0.001) and FT3 (<i>β</i> = 0.005, 95% CI: 0.003-0.008, <i>p</i> < 0.001). No significant associations were observed for FT4, TPOAb, or TgAb. TSH increased linearly across ALS quartiles (<i>p</i>-trend < 0.001). Restricted cubic splines indicated no overall departure from linearity; in sex-stratified analyses, the association was linear in women and nonlinear in men. Significant interactions with age and race (<i>p</i> < 0.05) indicate that the ALS-TSH association differs by demographics. The results were consistent across the subgroup and sensitivity analyses. Our study suggested a significant positive association between AL and TSH levels. Further research is needed to clarify the mechanisms linking stress and thyroid function.</p>","PeriodicalId":51173,"journal":{"name":"Stress-The International Journal on the Biology of Stress","volume":"29 1","pages":"2653858"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2026-12-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147629223","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}