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Previous studies suggest that serotonin (5-HT) might interact with brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) during the stress response. However, the relationship between 5-HT and BDNF expression under purely psychological stress is unclear. In this study, one hour before psychological stress exposure, the 5-HT1A receptor agonist 8-OH-DPAT or antagonist MDL73005, or the 5-HT2A receptor agonist DOI or antagonist ketanserin were administered to rats exposed to psychological stress. Immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization revealed that after psychological stress, with the exception of the ventral tegmental area, BDNF protein and mRNA expression levels were higher in the 5-HT1A and the 5-HT2A receptor agonist groups compared with the solvent control no-stress or psychological stress group in the CA1 and CA3 of the hippocampus, prefrontal cortex, central amygdaloid nucleus, dorsomedial hypothalamic nucleus, dentate gyrus, shell of the nucleus accumbens and the midbrain periaqueductal gray. There was no significant difference between the two agonist groups. In contrast, after stress exposure, BDNF protein and mRNA expression levels were lower in the 5-HT1A and 5-HT2A receptor antagonist groups than in the solvent control non-stress group, with the exception of the ventral tegmental area. Our findings suggest that 5-HT regulates BDNF expression in a rat model of acute psychological stress.

Abstract Background The number of patients experiencing re-infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is progressively increasing. In this study, we aimed to explore the differences in clinical characteristics between patients with primary infection and those with re-infection of SARS-CoV-2. Methods A retrospective data analysis was conducted involving patients diagnosed with coronavirus disease 2019 between April 1, 2023, and June 20, 2023. The patients were categorized into two groups: the observation group, consisting of individuals re-infected with SARS-CoV-2, and the control group, comprising those with primary SARS-CoV-2 infection. Results A total of 905 (905/1025) patients were included in the study, with 407 in the observation group and 498 in the control group. The top three clinical symptoms in both groups were fever, cough with expectoration, and dizziness with fatigue (p