White matter atrophy and myelinated fiber disruption in a rat model of depression. Issue 8 (10th March 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Gao, Yuan; Ma, Jing; Tang, Jing; Liang, Xin; Huang, Chun‐Xia; Wang, San‐rong; Chen, Lin‐mu; Wang, Fei‐Fei; Tan, Chuan‐Xue; Chao, Feng‐Lei; Zhang, Lei; Qiu, Xuan; Luo, Yan‐Min; Xiao, Qian; Du, Lian; Xiao, Qian; Tang, Yong
• Is Part Of: Journal of comparative neurology. Volume 525:Issue 8(2017)
• Page Start: 1922
• Page End: 1933
• Publication Date: 2017-03-10
• Subjects: chronic unpredictable stress -- depression -- myelinated fibers -- stereology -- white matter -- RRID: AB_956157 -- RRID: SCR_002526; Comparative neurobiology -- Periodicals; Neurology -- Periodicals; 616
• DOI: 10.1002/cne.24178
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0021-9967

Abstract

Abstract: Brain imaging and postmortem studies have indicated that white matter abnormalities may contribute to the pathology and pathogenesis of depression. However, until now, no study has quantitatively investigated white matter changes in depression in rats. The current study used the chronic unpredictable stress (CUS) model of depression. Body weight and sucrose preference test (SPT) scores were assessed weekly. Upon successfully establishing the CUS animal model, all animals were tested using the SPT and the open field test (OFT). Then, transmission electron microscopy and unbiased stereological methods were used to investigate white matter changes in the rats. Compared with the control group, the body weight and sucrose preference of the CUS rats were significantly decreased ( p < .001, p < .001, respectively). In the OFT, the total time spent and the total distance traveled in the inner area by the CUS rats were significantly lower than those of the control group ( p = .002, p = .001, respectively). The stereological results revealed that white matter volume, the total volume, and the total length and mean diameter of myelinated fibers in the white matter of the CUS rats were significantly decreased compared to the control rats ( p = .042, p = .038, p = .035, p = .019, respectively). The results of this study suggested that white matter atrophy and disruption of myelinated fibers in the white matter may contribute to the pathophysiology underlying depression, which might provide new targets for the development of novel therapeutic interventions for depression. Abstract : Combining the immunohistochemical staining and the stereological methods, we found that myelinated fibers in the white matter of CUS rats were significantly decreased. The results indicated that atrophy of the white matter and disruption of the myelinated fibers in the white matter might contribute to the pathophysiology underlying depression.