Abstract
IntroductionPost-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an anxiety disorder that develops after exposure to a life-threatening traumatic experience. Meta-analyses of the brainstem showed that midsagittal area of the pons was significantly reduced in patients with PTSD, suggesting a potential apoptosis in dorsal raphe nucleus after single-prolonged stress (SPS). The aim of this study is to investigate whether SPS induces apoptosis in dorsal raphe nucleus in PTSD rats, which may be a possible mechanism of reduced volume of pons and density of gray matter.MethodsIn this study, rats were randomly divided into 1d, 7d and 14d groups after SPS along with the control group. The apoptosis rate was determined using annexin V-FITC/PI double-labeled flow cytometry (FCM). Levels of Cytochrome c (Cyt-C) was examined by Western blotting. Expression of Cyt-C on mitochondria in the dorsal raphe nucleus neuron was determined by enzymohistochemistry under transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The change of thiamine monophosphatase (TMP) levels was assessed by enzymohistochemistry under light microscope and TEM. Morphological changes of the ultrastructure of the dorsal raphe nucleus neuron were determined by TEM.ResultsApoptotic morphological alterations were observed in dorsal raphe nucleus neuron for all SPS-stimulate groups of rats. The apoptosis rates were significantly increased in dorsal raphe nucleus neuron of SPS rats, along with increased release of cytochrome c from the mitochondria into the cytoplasm, increased expression of Cyt-C and TMP levels in the cytoplasm, which reached to the peak of increase 7 days of SPS.ConclusionsThe results indicate that SPS induced Cyt-C released from mitochondria into cytosol and apoptosis in dorsal raphe nucleus neuron of rats. Increased TMP in cytoplasm facilitated the clearance of apoptotic cells. We propose that this presents one of the mechanisms that lead to reduced volume of pons and gray matter associated with PTSD.
Highlights
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an anxiety disorder that develops after exposure to a life-threatening traumatic experience
We have reported that there is an increase of 5-HT1A in the dorsal raphe nucleus in the rats upon Single-prolonged stress (SPS) [10], which might be related to apoptosis in the dorsal raphe nucleus
Enzymohistochemistry analysis of Cytochrome c (Cyt-C) by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) To investigate whether SPS induces apoptosis in dorsal raphe nucleus, we first examined Cyt-C expression by TEM
Summary
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an anxiety disorder that develops after exposure to a life-threatening traumatic experience. Meta-analyses of the brainstem showed that midsagittal area of the pons was significantly reduced in patients with PTSD, suggesting a potential apoptosis in dorsal raphe nucleus after single-prolonged stress (SPS). The aim of this study is to investigate whether SPS induces apoptosis in dorsal raphe nucleus in PTSD rats, which may be a possible mechanism of reduced volume of pons and density of gray matter. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a psychiatric condition that develops after being exposed to a lifethreatening traumatic experience. It is characterized with long-term symptoms of continuous experiences of the traumatic event, avoidance of stimuli associated with the analysis of the brainstem showed smaller gray matter volume in the pons with PTSD [7]. We have reported that there is an increase of 5-HT1A in the dorsal raphe nucleus in the rats upon Single-prolonged stress (SPS) [10], which might be related to apoptosis in the dorsal raphe nucleus
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