Stress hormone action: corticosterone determines the strength of long-term fear memory dependent on the mouse genotype

Abstract

Event Abstract Back to Event Stress hormone action: corticosterone determines the strength of long-term fear memory dependent on the mouse genotype Anastasia Diamantopoulou1, 2*, Maaike Van Der Mark1, Vera Brinks1 and Melly S. Oitzl1 1 University of Leiden, Division of Medical Pharmacology, LUMC/LACDR, Netherlands 2 University of Athens, Laboratory of Biology-Biochemistry, School of Health Sciences, Greece Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is characterized by strong, uncontrolled memories of the negative event, not prone to extinction. Corticosterone, the glucocorticoid secreted in response to stress in rodents, either strengthened or weakened emotional memory processing during 4 days, depending on (i) the genetic background of the mice (C57BL/6J; BALB/c) and (ii) the spatio-temporal context of its action (Brinks et al. ExpNeurol.2009). (BALB/c: increased corticosterone-stress response and emotionality compared to C57BL/6J). Using the Pavlovian fear conditioning paradigm of alternating cue/context exposures, we assessed the persistence of fear memories (expressed as freezing). BALB/c mice exhibited enhanced fear memory compared to the C57BL/6J, which decays over time. Re-exposure to the fear-related environment on days 15 and 16 after acquisition, favored extinction of fear memory in C57BL/6J mice on days 52 and 53, which was not the case for the BALB/c. Corticosterone (250 ìg/kg, i.p.) 5 minutes before acquisition in C57BL/6J specifically facilitated memory for context related fear, opposing the extinction-favoring effects of prior re-exposure sessions. However, BALB/c mice treated with corticosterone, directly after acquisition exhibited reduced freezing during cue and context episodes on days 52 and 53, enhanced time-dependent cue fear memory decay and abolished the context-cue distinction ability. We conclude that corticosterone prior to stress in C57BL/6J mice strengthened consolidation of contextual stress-associated signals, resulting in sustained long-term fear memory: relevant for preventing the development of stress related disorders such as PTSD. Corticosterone in BALB/c mice destabilized consolidation and predominantly strongly decreased cue-related fear memories: this will allow studying therapeutic treatments. Supported by KNAW-Dobberke Stichting 2007-07(VB), IRTG NWO-DN95-420(MSO), Brain Foundation Netherlands 2008(1)-38(MSO,AD), NENS(AD). Conference: 41st European Brain and Behaviour Society Meeting, Rhodes Island, Greece, 13 Sep - 18 Sep, 2009. Presentation Type: Poster Presentation Topic: Poster presentations Citation: Diamantopoulou A, Van Der Mark M, Brinks V and Oitzl MS (2009). Stress hormone action: corticosterone determines the strength of long-term fear memory dependent on the mouse genotype. Conference Abstract: 41st European Brain and Behaviour Society Meeting. doi: 10.3389/conf.neuro.08.2009.09.133 Copyright: The abstracts in this collection have not been subject to any Frontiers peer review or checks, and are not endorsed by Frontiers. They are made available through the Frontiers publishing platform as a service to conference organizers and presenters. The copyright in the individual abstracts is owned by the author of each abstract or his/her employer unless otherwise stated. Each abstract, as well as the collection of abstracts, are published under a Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0 (attribution) licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) and may thus be reproduced, translated, adapted and be the subject of derivative works provided the authors and Frontiers are attributed. For Frontiers’ terms and conditions please see https://www.frontiersin.org/legal/terms-and-conditions. Received: 09 Jun 2009; Published Online: 09 Jun 2009. * Correspondence: Anastasia Diamantopoulou, University of Leiden, Division of Medical Pharmacology, LUMC/LACDR, Leiden, Netherlands, m.oitzl@lacdr.leidenuniv.nl Login Required This action requires you to be registered with Frontiers and logged in. To register or login click here. Abstract Info Abstract The Authors in Frontiers Anastasia Diamantopoulou Maaike Van Der Mark Vera Brinks Melly S Oitzl Google Anastasia Diamantopoulou Maaike Van Der Mark Vera Brinks Melly S Oitzl Google Scholar Anastasia Diamantopoulou Maaike Van Der Mark Vera Brinks Melly S Oitzl PubMed Anastasia Diamantopoulou Maaike Van Der Mark Vera Brinks Melly S Oitzl Related Article in Frontiers Google Scholar PubMed Abstract Close Back to top Javascript is disabled. Please enable Javascript in your browser settings in order to see all the content on this page.