Stress resilience and vulnerability: the association with rearing conditions, endocrine function, immunology, and anxious behavior.

Background: The current study explored the underlying behavioral, endocrine, and immune markers of vulnerability to stress-induced depression, and the impact of rearing environments on adult functioning.

Method: Adult Sprague-Dawley rats (n=195) were reared in either Maternal Separation (MS), Early Weaning and Isolation (EWI), or Non-Handled (NH) conditions. Anxiety behavior was assessed using the emergence test at mean postnatal day (PND) 60.