Mice overexpressing corticotropin-releasing factor show brain atrophy and motor dysfunctions.

Abstract

Chronic stress and persistently high glucocorticoid levels can induce brain atrophy. Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF)-overexpressing (OE) mice are a genetic model of chronic stress with elevated brain CRF and plasma corticosterone levels and Cushing's syndrome. The brain structural alterations in the CRF-OE mice, however, are not well known. We found that adult male and female CRF-OE mice had significantly lower whole brain and cerebellum weights than their wild type (WT) littermates (347.7+/-3.6mg vs. 460.1+/-4.3mg and 36.3+/-0.8mg vs. 50.0+/-1.3mg, respectively) without sex-related difference. The epididymal/parametrial fat mass was significantly higher in CRF-OE mice. The brain weight was inversely correlated to epididymal/parametrial fat weight, but not to body weight. Computerized image analysis system in Nissl-stained brain sections of female mice showed that the anterior cingulate and sensorimotor cortexes of CRF-OE mice were significantly thinner, and the volumes of the hippocampus, hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus and amygdala were significantly reduced compared to WT, while the locus coeruleus showed a non-significant increase. Motor functions determined by beam crossing and gait analysis showed that CRF-OE mice took longer time and more steps to traverse a beam with more errors, and displayed reduced stride length compared to their WT littermates. These data show that CRF-OE mice display brain size reduction associated with alterations of motor coordination and an increase in visceral fat mass providing a novel animal model to study mechanisms involved in brain atrophy under conditions of sustained elevation of brain CRF and circulating glucocorticoid levels.

• Authors: Miriam Goebel, Sheila M Fleming, Mulugeta Million, Andreas Stengel, Yvette Taché, Lixin Wang
• Journal: Neuroscience letters (Neurosci Lett) Vol. 473 Issue 1 Pg. 11-5 (Mar 31 2010) ISSN: 1872-7972 [Electronic] Ireland
• PMID: 20132869 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural)
• Copyright: Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Chemical References

• Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone

Topics

• Animals
• Atrophy
• Brain (pathology, physiopathology)
• Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone (biosynthesis, genetics)
• Disease Models, Animal
• Female
• Gait
• Male
• Mice
• Motor Activity
• Movement
• Psychomotor Performance
• Sex Factors