Institute of Brain and Behavior Science, College of Life Science, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi’an 710062, China

Abstract 

Objective
To investigate the roles of estrogen and kalirin-7 in chronic restraint stress (CRS)-induced depression and the pathophysiological mechanism of depression.
Methods
Healthy female mice from Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) were randomly divided into 3 groups: control group, CRS group, and estrogen + CRS group. CRS was used to establish the animal model of depression. Forced swimming test and immunohistochemistry method were utilized to investigate the animal behavior and kalirin-7 expression in the hippocampus, respectively.
Results
Compared with the control group, the CRS mice displayed depression-like behaviors, including a significant reduction in body weight, a significant increase in immobility time in forced swimming test, and a dramatic decrease in kalirin-7 expression in the hippocampus. However, administration of estrogen attenuated the CRS-induced negative behaviors, and simultaneously increased kalirin-7 expression.
Conclusion
Estrogen replacement therapy (ERT) could prevent CRS-induced depression-like behaviors in female ICR mice. Besides, kalirin-7 also plays a role in preventing CRS-induced depression-like behaviors.

Keywords

chronic restraint stress; depression; estrogen; neural plasticity; kalirin-7

[SpringerLink]