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Review
. 2016 Nov:70:206-216.
doi: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2016.05.020. Epub 2016 May 24.

Adolescence and the ontogeny of the hormonal stress response in male and female rats and mice

Russell D Romeo  1 , Ravenna Patel  2 , Laurie Pham  2 , Veronica M So  2
Affiliations
Review

Adolescence and the ontogeny of the hormonal stress response in male and female rats and mice

Russell D Romeo et al. Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2016 Nov.

Abstract

Adolescent development is marked by many changes in neuroendocrine function, resulting in both immediate and long-term influences on an individual's physiology and behavior. Stress-induced hormonal responses are one such change, with adolescent animals often showing different patterns of hormonal reactivity following a stressor compared with adults. This review will describe the unique ways in which adolescent animals respond to a variety of stressors and how these adolescent-related changes in hormonal responsiveness can be further modified by the sex and previous experience of the individual. Potential central and peripheral mechanisms that contribute to these developmental shifts in stress reactivity are also discussed. Finally, the short- and long-term programming effects of chronic stress exposure during adolescence on later adult hormonal responsiveness are also examined. Though far from a clear understanding of the neurobehavioral consequences of these adolescent-related shifts in stress reactivity, continued study of developmental changes in stress-induced hormonal responses may shed light on the increased vulnerability to physical and psychological dysfunctions that often accompany a stressful adolescence.

Keywords: Adolescence; Adrenal; HPA axis; Hypothalamus; Pituitary; Puberty; Stressor.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
A schematic representation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. Solid lines with arrowheads = positive drive (+) of the secretagogues to each gland, while dashed lines with oval heads = the neural-pituitary target tissues that provide negative feedback (−). Abbreviations: ACTH, adrenocorticotropin hormone; AVP, arginine vasopressin; CORT, corticosterone; CRH, corticotropin-releasing hormone; PVN, paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Plasma ACTH (top panel) and corticosterone (bottom panel) levels in pre-adolescent (28 days of age) and adult (77 days of age) male rats before, during, and after a 30 min session of restraint (black bar under x-axis). Asterisks indicate a significant difference between the ages. Adapted from (Romeo et al., 2004a).
Figure 3
Figure 3
Plasma ACTH (top panel) and corticosterone (bottom panel) levels in pre-adolescent (28 days of age) or adult (68 days of age) male rats before (Time 0 h) or 2, 4, 6, 8, and 24 h following a LPS injection (0.1 mg/kg, i.p.). Arrowhead indicates the LPS treatment. Asterisk indicates a significant difference between the ages. Adapted from (Goble et al., 2011).
Figure 4
Figure 4
Plasma ACTH (top panels) and corticosterone (bottom panels) in pre-adolescent (30 days of age) and adult (77 days of age) male rats exposed to a single, acute stress (left panels), homotypic stress (middle panels), or heterotypic stress (right panels). Asterisks indicate a significant difference between the ages. Adapted from (Lui et al., 2012).
Figure 5
Figure 5
A schematic representation of the direct excitatory (left panel) and inhibitory (right panel) inputs to the PVN that modulate stress-induced HPA responses. Though these pathways have been well mapped out in adults, it is unknown if these PVN afferents show adolescent-related changes in structural or functional connectivity. Abbreviations: aBST, anteroventral/fusiform area of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis; DMN, ventrolateral portion of the dorsmedial nucleus; MPO, medial preoptic nucleus; NTS, nucleus of the solitary tract; pBST, posterior bed nucleus of the stria terminalis; peri-PVN, area immediately adjacent to and surrounding the paraventricular nucleus; PVN, paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus.
Figure 6
Figure 6
FOS-immunoreactive cells in the PVN of pre-adolescent (28 days of age) and adult (77 days of age) male rats following either a single, acute 30 min session of restraint (A–C and D–F, respectively) or daily 30 min session of restraint for one week (repeated stress; G–I and J–L, respectively). Scale bar, 150μm. Adapted from (Romeo et al., 2006a).
Figure 7
Figure 7
FOS-immunoreactive cells/40,000 mm2 in the PVN of pre-adolescent (28 days of age) and adult (77 days of age) male rats following either a single, acute 30 min session of restraint (A) or a daily 30 min session of restraint for one week (repeated stress; B). Asterisks indicate a significant difference between the ages. Adapted from (Romeo et al., 2006a).
Figure 8
Figure 8
Percent CRH and FOS double-labeled cells in the PVN of pre-adolescent (28 days of age) and adult (77 days of age) male rats following either a single, acute 30 min session of restraint (A) or a daily 30 min session of restraint for one week (repeated stress; B). Asterisks indicate a significant difference between the ages. Adapted from (Romeo et al., 2006a).
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