| Autor: |
Manukhina EB; School of Medical Biology, South Ural State University , Chelyabinsk , Russia.; Laboratory for Regulatory Mechanisms of Stress and Adaptation, Institute of General Pathology and Pathophysiology , Moscow , Russia.; Department of Anatomy and Physiology, University of North Texas Health Science Center , Fort Worth, Texas., Tseilikman VE; School of Medical Biology, South Ural State University , Chelyabinsk , Russia., Tseilikman OB; School of Medical Biology, South Ural State University , Chelyabinsk , Russia., Komelkova MV; School of Medical Biology, South Ural State University , Chelyabinsk , Russia., Kondashevskaya MV; Laboratory for Immunomorphology of Inflammation, FSBSI Research Institute of Human Morphology , Moscow , Russia., Goryacheva AV; Laboratory for Regulatory Mechanisms of Stress and Adaptation, Institute of General Pathology and Pathophysiology , Moscow , Russia., Lapshin MS; School of Medical Biology, South Ural State University , Chelyabinsk , Russia., Platkovskii PO; School of Medical Biology, South Ural State University , Chelyabinsk , Russia., Alliluev AV; School of Medical Biology, South Ural State University , Chelyabinsk , Russia., Downey HF; School of Medical Biology, South Ural State University , Chelyabinsk , Russia.; Department of Anatomy and Physiology, University of North Texas Health Science Center , Fort Worth, Texas. |
| Abstrakt: |
Nonpharmacological treatments of stress-induced disorders are promising, since they enhance endogenous stress defense systems, are free of side effects, and have few contraindications. The present study tested the hypothesis that intermittent hypoxia conditioning (IHC) ameliorates behavioral, biochemical, and morphological signs of experimental posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) induced in rats with a model of predator stress (10-day exposure to cat urine scent, 15 min daily followed by 14 days of stress-free rest). After the last day of stress exposure, rats were conditioned in an altitude chamber for 14 days at a 1,000-m simulated altitude for 30 min on day 1 with altitude and duration progressively increasing to 4,000 m for 4 h on day 5. PTSD was associated with decreased time spent in open arms and increased time spent in closed arms of the elevated X-maze, increased anxiety index, and increased rate of freezing responses. Functional and structural signs of adrenal cortex degeneration were also observed, including decreased plasma concentration of corticosterone, decreased weight of adrenal glands, reduced thickness of the fasciculate zone, and hydropic degeneration of adrenal gland cells. The thickness of the adrenal fasciculate zone negatively correlated with the anxiety index. IHC alleviated both behavioral signs of PTSD and morphological evidence of adrenal cortex dystrophy. Also, IHC alone exerted an antistress effect, which was evident from the increased time spent in open arms of the elevated X-maze and a lower number of rats displaying freezing responses. Therefore, IHC of rats with experimental PTSD reduced behavioral signs of the condition and damage to the adrenal glands. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Intermittent hypoxia conditioning (IHC) has been shown to be cardio-, vaso-, and neuroprotective. For the first time, in a model of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), this study showed that IHC alleviated both PTSD-induced behavioral disorders and functional and morphological damage to the adrenal glands. Also, IHC alone exerted an antistress effect. These results suggest that IHC may be a promising complementary treatment for PTSD-associated disorders. |
