Document Type : Original Article
Authors
1
Department of Basic Sciences, Azad University, Gachsaran Branch, Gachsaran, Iran
2
Infertility Research Center, Department of OB-GYN, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
3
Transgenic Technology Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
4
Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Advanced Medical Sciences and Technology, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
5
Institute of Cancer Research, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
6
Laboratory Animal Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
Abstract
The effects of chronic stress and glucocorticoids receptor antagonist (RU486) on expression of melanocortin 4
receptor (MC4R) mRNA in arcuate nucleus (ARC) of male rats were evaluated. In this study, adult male
Sprague Dawley rats were placed into four groups (n=6/group); stress, RU486, stress/RU486, and control
groups. In stress group, the rats were restrained, 1 h/day, for 12 days. In RU486 group, the rats were injected
RU486 for 12 days. In stress/RU486 group, the rats were injected RU486 1 h before the stress process for 12
days. Relative expression of MC4R mRNA was determined using real-time PCR. Relative expression of MC4R
mRNA in the stress group was higher than that of the control rats (P<0.05). Relative expressions of MC4R
mRNA were not different between the stress, RU486 and stress/RU486 groups (P>0.05). Chronic restraint stress
causes increase in mRNA expression of MC4R in ARC and blockade of glucocorticoid receptors has no effect
on this up-regulation.
Keywords