Evaluation of biomarkers of stress in chronic stress-exposed comorbid depression model Wistar rats

Megha Gokul; Nayanatara Arun Kumar; Rekha Durgadas Kini; Vandana Blossom; Bhagyalakshmi Kodavanji; Anupama Noojibail; Nirupama Murali; Santosh Phajir Vishwanath Rai

doi:10.1515/jbcpp-2018-0215

Article

Evaluation of biomarkers of stress in chronic stress-exposed comorbid depression model Wistar rats

Megha Gokul , Nayanatara Arun Kumar , Rekha Durgadas Kini , Vandana Blossom , Bhagyalakshmi Kodavanji , Anupama Noojibail , Nirupama Murali and Santosh Phajir Vishwanath Rai

Published/Copyright: August 30, 2019

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From the journal Journal of Basic and Clinical Physiology and Pharmacology Volume 30 Issue 5

Abstract

Background

In recent years, increased stress in human life has a dual effect on brain and body physiology. Chronic stress takes a toll on physiology as well as on quality of life, ultimately leading to affective disorders. Rodent models are indispensable tools for studying the etiology and progress of depression. C-reactive protein has been proposed as a novel inflammatory marker.

Methods

Rats were divided into control and experimental stress groups (n = 6 each). The experimental group consisted of rats that were exposed to a set of chronic unpredictable stressors for 15 days. At the end of the 15th day, the animals were anesthetized, and blood samples were collected through cardiac puncture. Then the blood samples were analyzed for selected biochemical and oxidative stress parameters.

Results

Serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (p < 0.0001), serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase (p < 0.001), serum malondialdehyde (p < 0.0001), total antioxidant level (p < 0.0001), and serum cortisol (p < 0.0001) were significantly increased in the stressed group when compared with the control group. C-reactive protein significantly (p < 0.0001) increased in the stressed group when compared with the control group.

Conclusion

Our results demonstrate that chronic unpredictable stress ameliorated depression-like behavior, which might have caused the dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, causing the imbalance in the biochemical and oxidative parameters increasing the inflammatory markers. The inflammation-induced model of the chronic unpredictable stress model of comorbid depression might provide a variety of new targets for antidepressant therapies.

Keywords: antioxidant; comorbidity; cortisol; depression; stress

Acknowledgments

The authors are thankful to the Kasturba Medical College, Mangalore, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, India, for providing the laboratory and necessary instruments for conducting the experiments.

Author contributions: All the authors have accepted the responsibility for the entire content of this manuscript and approved submission.
Research funding: None declared.
Competing interests: The authors declare that there are no competing interests.
Ethical approval: All investigations were performed in accordance with guidelines of the Committee for the Purpose of Control and Supervision of Experiments on Animals. All experimental procedures were approved by the Institutional Animal Ethical (IAEC), Kasturba Medical College, Mangalore (KMC/MNG/IAEC/03-2018, dated 27/01/2018).

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Received: 2018-12-12

Accepted: 2019-04-19

Published Online: 2019-08-30

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Articles in the same Issue

https://doi.org/10.1515/jbcpp-2018-0215

Keywords for this article

antioxidant; comorbidity; cortisol; depression; stress