Neurochemical, hormonal, and behavioral effects of chronic unpredictable stress in the rat.

The high comorbidity of anxiety and depression suggests a potential degree of commonality in their etiologies. The chronic unpredictable stress (CUS) model effectively replicates depressive-like phenotypes; however, the ability of CUS to produce anxiety-like behaviors has not been adequately addressed. Using the CUS paradigm (2 stressors per day for 10 days) in adult Sprague-Dawley rats we identified behavioral, hormonal, and neurochemical changes one day after the cessation of treatment.