Journal ArticleDOI
Chronic stress alters glucocorticoid receptor and mineralocorticoid receptor mRNA expression in the European starling (Sturnus vulgaris) brain.
TLDR
The results suggest that chronic stress changes the brain physiology of wild birds and provides important information for the understanding of the underlying mechanisms that result in dysregulation of the HPA axis in wild animals by chronic stress.Abstract:
Although the glucocorticoid response to acute short-term stress is an adaptive physiological mechanism that aids in the response to and survival of noxious stimuli, chronic stress is associated with a negative impact on health. In wild-caught European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris), chronic stress alters the responsiveness of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis as measured by the acute corticosterone response. In the present study, we investigated potential underlying neuroendocrine mechanisms by comparing glucocorticoid receptor and mineralocorticoid receptor mRNA expression in the brains of chronically and nonchronically-stressed starlings. Hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus, but not hippocampal, glucocorticoid receptor mRNA expression in chronically-stressed birds was significantly lower compared to controls, suggesting changes in the efficacy of corticosterone negative feedback. In addition, chronically-stressed birds showed a significant decrease in hippocampal MR mRNA expression. Together, these results suggest that chronic stress changes the brain physiology of wild birds and provides important information for the understanding of the underlying mechanisms that result in dysregulation of the HPA axis in wild animals by chronic stress.read more
Citations
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A meta-analysis of glucocorticoids as modulators of oxidative stress in vertebrates.
TL;DR: GC-induced oxidative stress could be a further mechanism underlying increases in disease susceptibility and decreases in Darwinian fitness observed under chronic stress, according to a meta-analysis of studies where physiological stress was induced by administration of glucocorticoids.
Journal ArticleDOI
Measures of physiological stress: a transparent or opaque window into the status, management and conservation of species?
TL;DR: A meta-analysis shows that human activities consistently increase stress hormone levels across vertebrates, and five questions should be considered about the use of stress hormone measurements in conservation physiology are discussed.
Themed Issue Article: Stress in Vertebrates Measures of physiological stress: a transparent or opaque window into the status, management and conservation of species?
TL;DR: The use of measurements of glucocorticoids in conservation physiology has been discussed in this paper, where the authors show that anthropogenic disturbances are consistently associated with increased glucoc corticoid levels regardless of the type of human disturbance.
Journal ArticleDOI
Evaluating stress in natural populations of vertebrates: total CORT is not good enough
TL;DR: The goal in this review is to discuss how measures beyond simple quantification of total glucocorticoid levels are needed in comparative studies of stress, and what is needed to lay the foundation for these principles.
Journal ArticleDOI
60 YEARS OF NEUROENDOCRINOLOGY: Redefining neuroendocrinology: stress, sex and cognitive and emotional regulation
TL;DR: The discovery of steroid hormone receptors in brain regions that mediate every aspect of brain function has broadened the definition of 'neuroendocrinology' to include the reciprocal communication between the brain and the body via hormonal and neural pathways.
References
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Journal ArticleDOI
How do glucocorticoids influence stress responses? Integrating permissive, suppressive, stimulatory, and preparative actions.
TL;DR: This review considers recent findings regarding GC action and generates criteria for determining whether a particular GC action permits, stimulates, or suppresses an ongoing stress-response or, as an additional category, is preparative for a subsequent stressor.
Journal ArticleDOI
Stress and the brain: from adaptation to disease
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From the authors
Y. Lacasse,F. Maltais +1 more
TL;DR: Findings, i.e. that as-needed AO provided for a period of 3 months had no effect on quality of life and walked distance, are against the stream of current guidelines.
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Two Receptor Systems for Corticosterone in Rat Brain: Microdistribution and Differential Occupation
TL;DR: It is concluded that CORT action via CR may be involved in a tonic (permissive) influence on brain function with the septohippocampal complex as a primary target.
Journal ArticleDOI
Brain corticosteroid receptor balance in health and disease.
TL;DR: The balance in actions mediated by the two corticosteroid receptor types in these neurons appears critical for neuronal excitability, stress responsiveness, and behavioral adaptation and Dysregulation of this MR/GR balance brings neurons in a vulnerable state with consequences for regulation of the stress response and enhanced vulnerability to disease in genetically predisposed individuals.