Skip to main content

Lund University Publications

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

Hippocampal NG2+ pericytes in chronically stressed rats and depressed patients : a quantitative study

Treccani, Giulia LU ; Schlegelmilch, Anna Lena ; Schultz, Nina LU ; Herzog, David P. ; Bessa, Joao M. ; Sotiropoulos, Ioannis ; Müller, Marianne B. and Wennström, Malin LU (2021) In Stress 24(3). p.353-358
Abstract

Objective: The suggested link between major depression disorder (MDD) and blood–brain barrier (BBB) alterations supports an impact on the neurovascular unit in this disease condition. Here we investigate how pericytes, a major component in the neurovascular unit, respond to stress, stress hormones, proinflammatory cytokine and depression. Method: Hippocampal sections of chronic unpredictable stressed (CMS) rats, MDD patients and respective controls were immuno-stained against NG2, where the number of NG2+ pericytes in the molecular layer was counted. Proliferation of cultured pericytes after treatment with cortisol and IL-1β was analyzed using radioactive-labeled thymidine. Findings: The number of NG2+ pericytes was significantly higher... (More)

Objective: The suggested link between major depression disorder (MDD) and blood–brain barrier (BBB) alterations supports an impact on the neurovascular unit in this disease condition. Here we investigate how pericytes, a major component in the neurovascular unit, respond to stress, stress hormones, proinflammatory cytokine and depression. Method: Hippocampal sections of chronic unpredictable stressed (CMS) rats, MDD patients and respective controls were immuno-stained against NG2, where the number of NG2+ pericytes in the molecular layer was counted. Proliferation of cultured pericytes after treatment with cortisol and IL-1β was analyzed using radioactive-labeled thymidine. Findings: The number of NG2+ pericytes was significantly higher in CMS animals than controls. Higher number of NG2+ pericytes was also detected in MDD patients, but the increase did not reach significance. IL-1β, but not cortisol, induced a significant increase in proliferation of cultured pericytes. Conclusion: Our results indicate that exposure to stressful conditions affects the hippocampal pericyte population. These findings add to our knowledge about the impact of stress on the neurovascular unit, which might be relevant for understanding the alterations in BBB found in MDD patients.

(Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; ; ; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Animal model, depression, Neural/glial antigen 2, pericyte, stress
in
Stress
volume
24
issue
3
pages
6 pages
publisher
Taylor & Francis
external identifiers
  • pmid:32546032
  • scopus:85087440898
ISSN
1025-3890
DOI
10.1080/10253890.2020.1781083
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
0512d929-d082-442b-8ed4-5c20e3869538
date added to LUP
2020-07-17 10:47:33
date last changed
2024-05-01 13:29:21
@article{0512d929-d082-442b-8ed4-5c20e3869538,
  abstract     = {{<p>Objective: The suggested link between major depression disorder (MDD) and blood–brain barrier (BBB) alterations supports an impact on the neurovascular unit in this disease condition. Here we investigate how pericytes, a major component in the neurovascular unit, respond to stress, stress hormones, proinflammatory cytokine and depression. Method: Hippocampal sections of chronic unpredictable stressed (CMS) rats, MDD patients and respective controls were immuno-stained against NG2, where the number of NG2+ pericytes in the molecular layer was counted. Proliferation of cultured pericytes after treatment with cortisol and IL-1β was analyzed using radioactive-labeled thymidine. Findings: The number of NG2+ pericytes was significantly higher in CMS animals than controls. Higher number of NG2+ pericytes was also detected in MDD patients, but the increase did not reach significance. IL-1β, but not cortisol, induced a significant increase in proliferation of cultured pericytes. Conclusion: Our results indicate that exposure to stressful conditions affects the hippocampal pericyte population. These findings add to our knowledge about the impact of stress on the neurovascular unit, which might be relevant for understanding the alterations in BBB found in MDD patients.</p>}},
  author       = {{Treccani, Giulia and Schlegelmilch, Anna Lena and Schultz, Nina and Herzog, David P. and Bessa, Joao M. and Sotiropoulos, Ioannis and Müller, Marianne B. and Wennström, Malin}},
  issn         = {{1025-3890}},
  keywords     = {{Animal model; depression; Neural/glial antigen 2; pericyte; stress}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{3}},
  pages        = {{353--358}},
  publisher    = {{Taylor & Francis}},
  series       = {{Stress}},
  title        = {{Hippocampal NG2+ pericytes in chronically stressed rats and depressed patients : a quantitative study}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10253890.2020.1781083}},
  doi          = {{10.1080/10253890.2020.1781083}},
  volume       = {{24}},
  year         = {{2021}},
}