Neuroendocrine correlates of stress-induced depression
Aree / Gruppi di ricerca
Partecipanti al progetto
- Portaleone Paolo (Coordinatore/trice)
- Cangemi Luigi (Tecnico/a)
Descrizione del progetto
Membri:
Giuliana Abbadessa (Dip. Scienze Cliniche e Biologiche)
Prof.ssa Silvia Anna Racca (Dip. Scienze Cliniche e Biologiche)
Partners:
Department of Clinical and Biological Sciences, University of Turin, Italy
Sponsors:
Regione Piemonte - ricerca sanitaria finalizzata 2006
Description
Our research project investigates the effects of acute and chronic stress -using the swimming despair test procedure as a model of stress inducing depression in rats- on the reuptake process regulated by serotonin, dopamine and noradrenalin transporters, and on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPAA), using analysis of plasmatic levels of corticosterone, receptor binding assay for specific receptors (GR) and studying their expression by Western blotting in different areas of central nervous system. We also evaluate acute and chronic pre-treatment with a-MSH or with anti-depressant drugs on the same experimental model.
Keywords:
Stress, Depression, Neuropeptides, Serotonin transporters, Dopamine transporters, Melanocortins, Corticosterone