Peri-pubertal Adrenal and Immune Function Development

描述(申请人提供)：青春期过程由 重要的肾上腺和淋巴组织发育和社会行为 发展。因为肾上腺和免疫系统对 这一时期的环境条件、社会经历可能会有 对这两个系统的发展产生了重大影响。我会测试一下 青春期是一个敏感期的假说 与社会环境的相互作用会导致肾上腺的终生变化 以及免疫功能和疾病风险。来自老鼠和儿童的最新数据 表明在青春期前后，肾上腺和免疫功能开始 个体差异很大，一些个体发展成 与抑郁症相关的反应模式相似(例如 糖皮质激素高分泌和免疫功能低下)，这通常是第一个 在青春期后不久被诊断出。我提议对老鼠进行一项研究，以确定 青春期前的社会状况和人格特征预测 成年大鼠糖皮质激素高分泌与免疫抑制。实验 涉及对青春期周围社会环境的操纵 人格特征来确定这两个变量的组合导致什么 以区分成年后的肾上腺和免疫功能。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The pubertal process is marked by significant adrenal and lymphoid tissue development and social behavior development. Because the adrenal and immune systems are highly responsive to environmental conditions, social experiences during this period may have a significant impact on the development of these two systems. I will test the hypothesis that puberty is a sensitive period during which individual interactions with the social environment produce life-long changes in adrenal and immune function and disease risk. Recent data from rats and children indicate that during peri-puberty, adrenal and immune functioning begins to differ significantly among individuals, with some individuals developing response patterns similar to those associated with depression (e.g. glucocorticoid hypersecretion and compromised immunity), which is often first diagnosed shortly after puberty. I propose a study with rats that will identify the peri-pubertal social conditions and personality traits that predict glucocorticoid hypersecretion and immune suppression in adult rats. Experiments involve manipulations of peri-pubertal social environment relative to personality traits to determine what combination of these two variables leads to differential adrenal and immune function in adulthood.