Strain Differences and Effects of Environmental Manipulation on Astrocytes (Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein), Glucocorticoid Receptor, and Microglia (Iba1) Immunoreactivity between Wistar-Kyoto and Wistar Females.

Background: Depression is often associated with an increase in hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis reactivity and immune response. To investigate this relationship, we examined the consequences of environmental manipulation on the neural correlates of the HPA axis and immune response in an animal model of depression, the Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rat. Additionally, female animals are often overlooked in preclinical research because of the hormone fluctuations inherent in the estrous cycle.

Corticosterone and immune cytokine characterization following environmental manipulation in female WKY rats.

This study investigated the effects of environmental manipulation on female Wistar Kyoto (WKY), an animal model of depression, and female Wistar rats. It explored the function of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA) and immune system, as they have both been implicated in the pathophysiology of depression. A further goal was to characterize the immune cytokine concentrations of female WKY rats as this has, to our knowledge, never been documented.

Environmental manipulation affects depressive-like behaviours in female Wistar-Kyoto rats.

While the efficacy of pharmacological interventions to treat depression has been well-studied in animal models, much less work has been done to shed light on how changes in the immediate environment can impact behaviour. Furthermore, most studies have focused on male rodents despite the prevalence of mood disorders in women. In this study, 36 Wistar Kyoto (validated animal model of depression) and 36 Wistar (control) female rats were used to examine the effects of environmental manipulation on depressive- and anxiety-like behaviours.