Stress plays an important role in the development of @entity1316 . @entity1 show a higher prevalence for these disorders then @entity1 . The course of a @entity308 is thought to be positively influenced by social support. We have used a chronic mild stress model in which @entity35 received footshocks daily for 3 weeks. Since @entity35 are social animals we hypothesised that social housing, as a possible model for @entity1 social support, might reduce the adverse effects of chronic stress. Brain activity after chronic stress was measured in several limbic brain areas with the neuronal activation marker @entity5019 . High behavioural activity due to housing @entity35 under reversed light-dark conditions could be responsible for the observed high within group variability in some limbic regions. @entity5019 - (ir) in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN) was increased in all stress-exposed groups, except for the socially housed females who showed increased @entity5019 -ir in control condition. Individually housed males and socially housed females showed increased @entity5019 -ir in the dorsal raphe (DRN). Amygdala nuclei were differentially affected by stress, gender and housing conditions. Also the mesolimbic dopaminergic system showed gender specific responses to stress and housing conditions. These results indicate that social support can enhance stress coping in female @entity35 , whereas in males @entity35 , group housing appears to increase the adverse effects of chronic stress, although the neurobiological mechanism is not simply a reduction or enhancement of stress-induced brain activation.

Gender-specific effects of social housing on chronic stress-induced limbic XXXX expression.

@entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['men', 'human', 'Women'] @entity308 :: ('MESH:D003866', 'Disease') :: ['depressive episode'] @entity5019 :: ('314322(Tax:10116)', 'Gene') :: ['c-fos', 'FOS'] @entity1316 :: ('MESH:D019964', 'Disease') :: ['affective disorders'] @entity35 :: ('10116', 'Species') :: ['rats']
@entity5019 :: (314322(Tax:10116),Gene) :: ['Fos']
