The bed nucleus of the stria terminalis modulates learning after stress in masculinized but not cycling females
The bed nucleus of the stria terminalis modulates learning after stress in masculinized but not cycling females
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DOI：
10.1523/jneurosci.0831-08.2008
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发表时间：
2008-06-18
影响因子：
5.3
通讯作者：
Shors, Tracey J.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Bangasser, Debbie A.;Shors, Tracey J.
暴露于急性应激事件增强经典的雄性大鼠眨眼条件反射，但严重损害条件反射在雌性大鼠。先前的研究已经证明，海马体和杏仁核在两性中都起着关键的介导作用。因此，虽然压力以相反的方式影响学习，但所涉及的结构是相似的。以前，我们发现终纹床核（BNST）也是雄性大鼠应激后学习能力增强所必需的。在这里，我们使用BNST失活，以确定是否BNST，一个性别二态性脑区，需要在雌性大鼠的学习障碍后的压力。有趣的是，失活的BNST并没有防止应激诱导的女性条件反射的损害。因此，与海马体和杏仁核不同，BNST在男性的压力学习调节中起着关键作用，但在女性中则不然。这种只涉及男性的情况可能是由BNST内部的性别差异造成的。这些性别差异是由于早期接触睾丸激素导致的，睾丸激素使包括BNST在内的大脑区域男性化。以前，我们报道过，像男性一样，出生时大脑男性化的女性在经历压力后学习得更好。在这里，我们发现，增强学习后的压力在男性化的女性被阻止BNST失活，就像在男性。这些数据表明，一个男性化的BNST是需要加强学习后的压力的经验。重要的是，这些研究表明，男性和女性在经历压力后可以利用不同的大脑结构来调节学习。
Exposure to an acute stressful event enhances classical eyeblink conditioning in male rats, but severely impairs conditioning in female rats. Previous studies have demonstrated that the hippocampus and amygdala critically mediate this effect in both sexes. Thus, although stress affects learning in opposite ways, the structures involved are similar. Previously, we found that the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) is also necessary for the enhanced learning after stress in male rats. Here we used BNST inactivation to determine whether the BNST, a sexually dimorphic brain region, is required in female rats for the impaired learning after stress. Interestingly, inactivation of the BNST did not prevent the stress-induced impairment of conditioning in females. Thus, unlike the hippocampus and amygdala, the BNST is critically involved in the modulation of learning by stress in males, but not in females. This exclusive involvement in males may be caused by the sex differences within the BNST. These sex differences result from early testosterone exposure, which masculinizes brain regions including the BNST. Previously, we reported that, like males, females with brains that are masculinized at birth learn better after stressful experience. Here we found that the enhanced learning after stress in masculinized females was prevented by BNST inactivation, just like in males. These data suggest that a masculinized BNST is required for the enhanced learning after a stressful experience. Importantly, together these studies indicate that males and females can engage different brain structures to modulate learning after a stressful experience.