1. Chronic restraint stress–induced depression-like behavior is mediated by upregulation of melanopsin expression in C57BL/6 mice retina.
- Author
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Fu, Yingmei, Liu, Shanshan, Dong, Yigang, Gan, Yixia, Guo, Xiaoyun, Liu, Hongmei, Xu, Qingqing, Yuan, Ruixue, Ning, Ailing, Hong, Wu, Peng, Yanmin, and Yu, Shunying
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MENTAL depression , *MELANOPSIN , *GLUCOCORTICOIDS , *PSYCHOLOGICAL stress , *LABORATORY mice - Abstract
Background: Depression is associated with circadian disturbances in which melanopsin was a key mechanism. Further studies have demonstrated that melanopsin gene variations are associated with some depressive disorders and aberrant light can impair mood through melanopsin-expressing retinal ganglion cells (mRGCs). The goal of this study was to explore the direct relationship between depression and melanopsin. Methods: Adult C57BL/6 male mice were physically restrained for 16 h in a 50-ml polypropylene centrifuge tube and all behavioral tests were performed after CRS treatment. Western blot analysis and immunofluorescence were used to detect melanopsin expression in the retina of C57BL/6 mice. And we observed the change of the electrophysiological function and release of glutamate of mRGCs. Results: The melanopsin expression upregulate in mRGCs of chronic restraint stress (CRS)-treating mice which exhibit depression-like behavior. The frequency of blue light-induced action potentials and light-induced glutamate release mediated by melanopsin also increase significantly. This change of melanopsin is mediated by the CRS-induced glucocorticoid. Conclusions: CRS may induce the depression-like behavior in mice via glucocorticoid-melanopsin pathway. Our findings provide a novel mechanistic link between CRS-induced depression and melanopsin in mice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
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