Changes in microglial morphology following an acute stressor in male and female rats

Keywords

microglia, morphology, fear, acute stress, PTSD, PFC, PrL

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Life Sciences

Is this submission part of ICaP/PW (Introductory Composition at Purdue/Professional Writing)?

No

Abstract

Changes in microglial morphology following an acute stressor in male and female rats Houston Meminger1*, Jadebrielle Bennesh1*, Mikayla Voglewede 1Department of Psychological Sciences, Purdue University *Contributed equally Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is characterized by generalized fear responses to previously non-aversive stimuli following exposure to a traumatic event. Despite incidence rates for traumatic events being nearly equal between the sexes, women are twice as likely to develop PTSD. To explore these sex differences, we are examining how microglia in the prefrontal cortex respond to stress in both male and female Long Evans rats. Specifically, male and female rats were exposed to 15 1.0 mA unsignaled footshocks over the course of 90 min—control animals were exposed to the context without any shock delivery. 9 or 15 days after this acute stressor, rats were euthanized, and their brains were removed and sectioned for immunohistochemical staining with IBA1 antibodies and DAB. Preliminary data demonstrate differences in microglial morphology between 9 and 15 days after exposure to an acute stressor in male rats, and current analyses are evaluating whether these differences are also occurring in females. These morphological analyses will determine if microglia are operating differently between males and females in response to stress, which may serve as a stepping stone for future research investigating sex differences in developing PTSD.

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Changes in microglial morphology following an acute stressor in male and female rats

Changes in microglial morphology following an acute stressor in male and female rats Houston Meminger1*, Jadebrielle Bennesh1*, Mikayla Voglewede 1Department of Psychological Sciences, Purdue University *Contributed equally Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is characterized by generalized fear responses to previously non-aversive stimuli following exposure to a traumatic event. Despite incidence rates for traumatic events being nearly equal between the sexes, women are twice as likely to develop PTSD. To explore these sex differences, we are examining how microglia in the prefrontal cortex respond to stress in both male and female Long Evans rats. Specifically, male and female rats were exposed to 15 1.0 mA unsignaled footshocks over the course of 90 min—control animals were exposed to the context without any shock delivery. 9 or 15 days after this acute stressor, rats were euthanized, and their brains were removed and sectioned for immunohistochemical staining with IBA1 antibodies and DAB. Preliminary data demonstrate differences in microglial morphology between 9 and 15 days after exposure to an acute stressor in male rats, and current analyses are evaluating whether these differences are also occurring in females. These morphological analyses will determine if microglia are operating differently between males and females in response to stress, which may serve as a stepping stone for future research investigating sex differences in developing PTSD.