Sex Differences in Response to Stress and Expression of Depressive-Like Behaviours in the Rat

2010 ◽  
pp. 97-118 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christina Dalla ◽  
Pothitos M. Pitychoutis ◽  
Nikolaos Kokras ◽  
Zeta Papadopoulou-Daifoti
Keyword(s):  
Sex Differences ◽  
Response To Stress

scholarly journals Influence of sex and gonadal status of sheep on cortisol secretion in response to ACTH and on cortisol and LH secretion in response to stress: importance of different stressors

2002 ◽  
Vol 173 (1) ◽  
pp. 113-122 ◽  
Author(s):  
AI Turner ◽  
BJ Canny ◽  
RJ Hobbs ◽  
JD Bond ◽  
IJ Clarke ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sex Differences ◽  
Sex Difference ◽  
Restraint Stress ◽  
Cortisol Response ◽  
Blood Samples ◽  
Response To Stress ◽  
Lh Secretion ◽  
Gonadal Status ◽  
Major Mediator

There are sex differences in the response to stress and in the influence of stress on reproduction which may be due to gonadal steroids but the nature of these differences and the role of the gonads are not understood. We tested the hypotheses that sex and the presence/absence of gonads (gonadal status) will influence the cortisol response to injection of ACTH, insulin-induced hypoglycaemia and isolation/restraint stress, and that sex and gonadal status will influence the secretion of LH in response to isolation/restraint stress. Four groups of sheep were used in each of three experiments: gonad-intact rams, gonadectomised rams, gonad-intact ewes in the mid-luteal phase of the oestrous cycle and gonadectomised ewes. In Experiment 1 (n=4/group), jugular blood samples were collected every 10 min for 6 h; after 3 h, two animals in each group were injected (i.v.) with ACTH and the remaining two animals were injected (i.v.) with saline. Treatments were reversed 5 days later so that every animal received both treatments. Experiment 2 (n=4/group) used a similar schedule except that insulin was injected (i.v.) instead of ACTH. In Experiment 3 (n=5/group), blood samples were collected every 10 min for 16 h on a control day and again 2 weeks later when, after 8 h of sampling, all sheep were isolated and restrained for 8 h. Plasma cortisol was significantly (P<0.05) elevated following injection of ACTH or insulin and during isolation/restraint stress. There were no significant differences between the sexes in the cortisol response to ACTH. Rams had a greater (P<0.05) cortisol response to insulin-induced hypoglycaemia than ewes while ewes had a greater (P<0.05) cortisol response to isolation/restraint stress than rams. There was no effect of gonadal status on these parameters. Plasma LH was suppressed (P<0.05) in gonadectomised animals during isolation/restraint stress but was not affected in gonad-intact animals, and there were no differences between the sexes. Our results show that the sex that has the greater cortisol response to a stressor depends on the stressor imposed and that these sex differences are likely to be at the level of the hypothalamo-pituitary unit rather than at the adrenal gland. Since there was a sex difference in the cortisol response to isolation/restraint, the lack of a sex difference in the response of LH to this stress suggests that glucocorticoids are unlikely to be a major mediator of the stress-induced suppression of LH secretion.

Sex differences in the effects of neonatal handling on the animal's response to stress and the vulnerability for depressive behaviour

2002 ◽  
Vol 129 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 131-139 ◽  
Author(s):  
A Papaioannou ◽  
K Gerozissis ◽  
A Prokopiou ◽  
S Bolaris ◽  
F Stylianopoulou
Keyword(s):  
Sex Differences ◽  
Neonatal Handling ◽  
Response To Stress

scholarly journals Sex Differences in the Ovine Fetal Cortisol Response to Stress

2011 ◽  
Vol 69 (2) ◽  
pp. 118-122 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dino A Giussani ◽  
Andrew J W Fletcher ◽  
David S Gardner
Keyword(s):  
Sex Differences ◽  
Cortisol Response ◽  
Response To Stress ◽  
Ovine Fetal

scholarly journals Sex Differences in Subjective and Behavioral Responses to Stressful and Smoking Cues Presented in the Natural Environment of Smokers

2018 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 81-88 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel L Tomko ◽  
Michael E Saladin ◽  
Nathaniel L Baker ◽  
Erin A McClure ◽  
Matthew J Carpenter ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sex Differences ◽  
Negative Affect ◽  
Natural Environment ◽  
Stress Reactivity ◽  
Daily Life ◽  
Smoking Behavior ◽  
Stress Exposure ◽  
Smoking Cues ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Response To Stress

Abstract Introduction Some evidence suggests that female smokers may show more context-dependent smoking and that males may show more stereotyped smoking (regardless of stress or cue exposure). The goal of this study was to characterize sex differences in response to stressful and smoking cues ecologically presented in daily life and variability in day-to-day smoking behavior. Methods Adult smokers (N = 177) provided ratings of mood and cigarette craving before and after stress and smoking cues were presented four times daily for 14 days via a mobile device. Linear mixed models tested whether (1) female smokers exhibited greater reactivity to stressful cues than male smokers; (2) pre-cue negative affect increased reactivity to smoking cues more in female smokers than male smokers; (3) across both sexes, greater reactivity to stressful and smoking cues correlated with greater quantity of smoking within a day; and (4) female smokers exhibited greater variability in cigarettes per day (CPD) relative to males. Results Relative to male smokers, female smokers reported greater negative affect, stress, and craving in response to stressful cues, but not smoking cues, after accounting for time since last cigarette and pre-cue responding. No sex differences in CPD or variability in CPD were detected. Days with higher subjective reactivity to cues were not associated with increased smoking, in either males or females. Conclusions Sex differences were observed in response to stress but not smoking cues in the natural environment of regular cigarette smokers. Further research is necessary to evaluate whether stress reactivity in female smokers is associated with reduced latency to smoke following stress exposure in daily life. Implications This study provides naturalistic evidence that female smokers may not be more reactive to smoking cues than males, but experience heightened stress and craving following stress exposure. There was no evidence to support the hypothesis that amount smoked per day varied more for females, relative to males, as a result of more context-driven smoking for females.

scholarly journals Chronic stress alters adrenal clock function in a sexually dimorphic manner

2018 ◽  
Vol 60 (2) ◽  
pp. 55-69 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew Stagl ◽  
Mary Bozsik ◽  
Christopher Karow ◽  
David Wertz ◽  
Ian Kloehn ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sex Differences ◽  
Reciprocal Relationship ◽  
Sexually Dimorphic ◽  
Clock Gating ◽  
Lower Amplitude ◽  
Response To Stress ◽  
Glucocorticoid Production ◽  
Stress Influences

Glucocorticoid production is gated at the molecular level by the circadian clock in the adrenal gland. Stress influences daily rhythms in behavior and physiology, but it remains unclear how stress affects the function of the adrenal clock itself. Here, we examine the influence of stress on adrenal clock function by tracking PERIOD2::LUCIFERASE (PER2::LUC) rhythmsin vitro. Relative to non-stressed controls, adrenals from stressed mice displayed marked changes in PER2::LUC rhythms. Interestingly, the effect of stress on adrenal rhythms varied by sex and the type of stress experiencedin vivo. To investigate the basis of sex differences in the adrenal response to stress, we next stimulated male and female adrenalsin vitrowith adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH). ACTH shifted phase and increased amplitude of adrenal PER2::LUC rhythms. Both phase and amplitude responses were larger in female adrenals than in male adrenals, an observation consistent with previously described sex differences in the physiological response to stress. Lastly, we reversed the sex difference in adrenal clock function using stress and sex hormone manipulations to test its role in driving adrenal responses to ACTH. We find that adrenal responsiveness to ACTH is inversely proportional to the amplitude of adrenal PER2::LUC rhythms. This suggests that larger ACTH responses from female adrenals may be driven by their lower amplitude molecular rhythms. Collectively, these results indicate a reciprocal relationship between stress and the adrenal clock, with stress influencing adrenal clock function and the state of the adrenal clock gating the response to stress in a sexually dimorphic manner.

scholarly journals A sex difference in the cortisol response to tail docking and ACTH develops between 1 and 8 weeks of age in lambs

2006 ◽  
Vol 188 (3) ◽  
pp. 443-449 ◽  
Author(s):  
A I Turner ◽  
B J Hosking ◽  
R A Parr ◽  
A J Tilbrook
Keyword(s):  
Sex Differences ◽  
Sex Difference ◽  
Stress Responses ◽  
Combined Treatment ◽  
Cortisol Response ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
Stage Of Development ◽  
Tail Docking ◽  
Response To Stress ◽  
Cortisol Responses

It is important to understand factors that may influence responses to stress, as these factors may also influence vulnerability to pathologies that can develop when stress responses are excessive or prolonged. It is clear that, in adults, the sex of an individual can influence the cortisol response to stress in a stressor specific manner. Nevertheless, the stage of development at which these sex differences emerge is unknown. We tested the hypothesis that there are sex differences in the cortisol response to tail docking and ACTH in lambs of 1 and 8 weeks of age. We also established cortisol responses in males when tail docking was imposed alone and in combination with castration at these ages. In experiment 1, 1 and 8 week old male and female lambs were subjected to sham handling, tail docking or, in males, a combination of tail docking and castration. In experiment 2, we administered ACTH (1.0 IU/kg) to male and female lambs at 1 and 8 weeks of age. There were significant cortisol responses to all treatments at both ages. Sex differences in the cortisol responses to tail docking and ACTH developed between 1 and 8 weeks of age, with females having greater responses than males. The data suggest that the mechanism for the sex difference in response to tail docking may involve the adrenal glands. At both ages, in males, the cortisol response to the combined treatment of tail docking and castration was significantly greater than that for tail docking alone.

Sex Differences in the Cortisol Response to the Trier Social Stress Test in Depressed and Nondepressed Adolescents

2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 301-314 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raegan Mazurka ◽  
Katherine E. Wynne-Edwards ◽  
Kate L. Harkness
Keyword(s):  
Sex Differences ◽  
Social Stress ◽  
Stress Reactivity ◽  
Stress Test ◽  
Community Sample ◽  
Trier Social Stress Test ◽  
Cortisol Response ◽  
Cortisol Reactivity ◽  
Response To Stress ◽  
Adolescent Period

Two of the most robust findings in depression research are (a) that women are twice as likely to become depressed than men and (b) that stress is an important risk factor for depression. Although sex differences in stress reactivity may be an important determinant of differential risk for depression, few studies have examined sex differences in neurobiological reactivity to stress. The purpose of the current study was to assess sex differences in the HPA axis response to stress in depressed versus healthy controls by comparing the cortisol response to the Trier Social Stress Test in a community sample of adolescents (ages 12–18). Depressed boys showed significantly heightened cortisol reactivity compared with depressed girls, whose response was blunted compared with nondepressed girls. This diverging pattern of cortisol reactivity to stress among depressed girls and boys may help to explain the sex difference in depression prevalence that emerges during the adolescent period.

scholarly journals Sex differences in the inflammatory response to stress and risk of adverse cardiovascular outcomes among patients with coronary heart disease

2020 ◽  
Vol 90 ◽  
pp. 294-302
Author(s):  
Samaah Sullivan ◽  
An Young ◽  
Muhammad Hammadah ◽  
Bruno B. Lima ◽  
Oleksiy Levantsevych ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Coronary Heart Disease ◽  
Sex Differences ◽  
Heart Disease ◽  
Inflammatory Response ◽  
Cardiovascular Outcomes ◽  
Response To Stress

scholarly journals SEX DIFFERENCES IN RESPONSE TO STRESS IN MALE AND FEMALE HYPERTENSIVE SCHLAGER MICE

2021 ◽  
Vol 39 (Supplement 1) ◽  
pp. e254
Author(s):  
Cindy Gueguen ◽  
Kristy L. Jackson ◽  
Phuong-Nhan Le-Pham ◽  
Geoffrey A. Head
Keyword(s):  
Sex Differences ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
Response To Stress
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