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Physical and Environmental Stressors Induces Region Specific Neuronal Damage in Hippocampal Subfields of Mice

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Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, India Section B: Biological Sciences Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The hippocampus of brain is vulnerable to various physical and chemical stressors. In the present study the authors have investigated selective vulnerability of neuron cell bodies in various sub fields of left and right lobes of mice hippocampus. Animals were exposed to immobilization, forced swimming, heat and cold stress daily for 2 h. Treatment was given till 20 days. Cresyl violet and fluorojade-B staining were performed to study the cytological damage on both left and right sides of hippocampus. Lactate dehydrogenase release was measured in left and right lobes of hippocampus to compare the extent of neuronal injury. Cell count of injured cells showed significant increase in right hippocampus of immobilization group and in the left hippocampus of swim stress group. Increased LDH activity was observed in the right hippocampal lobe of the mice exposed to immobilization stress and in the left hippocampal lobe of the mice exposed to swimming stress. The differential behavior of right and left hippocampal lobe to various stressors could be due to stress responsive neuron populations which are selectively vulnerable to different stressors or low availability of growth factors necessary for survival of the neurons or high differential flow of corticosterone under stress conditions. The study suggests that neuron cell population in right or left hippocampus are selectively responsive to different stressors.

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Acknowledgments

The authors acknowledge the financial grant under UGC-SAP programme for Neuroscience Research thrust area. Department of Biotechnology, Govt of India for JRF to PM and UGC for teacher research fellowship to DS. Thanks are also due to Prof. T. G. Sriwastava of Immunotechnology and Steroid Laboratory, Department of Reproductive Bio-medicine, National Institute of Health and Family Welfare, New Delhi, for providing enzyme-immuno-assay kit.

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  1. Department of Zoology, University College of Science, M. L. Sukhadia University, Udaipur, 313001, India

    Prahlad Meena, Durgesh Sharma, Ayushi Jain, Piyu Sukhwal, Pooja Suhalka & Maheep Bhatnagar

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  1. Prahlad Meena
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  2. Durgesh Sharma
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  3. Ayushi Jain
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  6. Maheep Bhatnagar
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Correspondence to Maheep Bhatnagar.

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Meena, P., Sharma, D., Jain, A. et al. Physical and Environmental Stressors Induces Region Specific Neuronal Damage in Hippocampal Subfields of Mice. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci., India, Sect. B Biol. Sci. 82, 291–297 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40011-012-0022-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40011-012-0022-4

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