Chronic Social Defeat Stress
Objective: To induce depression-like symptoms in mice through chronic social defeat stress and evaluate antidepressant-like effects of HDAC inhibitors
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Protocol Steps
Chronic Social Defeat Stress Induction
Mice undergo chronic social defeat stress paradigm to induce depression-like symptoms
Note: This is the primary stress manipulation in the experiment
View evidence from paper
“chronic social defeat stress in mice causes a transient decrease, followed by a persistent increase, in levels of acetylated histone H3 in the nucleus accumbens”
HDAC Inhibitor Infusion
MS-275 HDAC inhibitor is infused into the nucleus accumbens to increase histone acetylation
Note: Infusion location is nucleus accumbens; increases histone acetylation
View evidence from paper
“infusion of HDAC inhibitors into the nucleus accumbens, which increases histone acetylation, exerts robust antidepressant-like effects in the social defeat paradigm”
Behavioral Testing
Mice are tested in behavioral assays to measure antidepressant-like effects
Note: Multiple behavioral assays are used beyond social defeat paradigm
View evidence from paper
“exerts robust antidepressant-like effects in the social defeat paradigm and other behavioral assays”
Gene Expression Analysis
Microarray analysis performed on nucleus accumbens tissue to determine global patterns of gene expression
Note: Compares effects of MS-275 to fluoxetine treatment
View evidence from paper
“HDAC inhibitor infusion also reverses the effects of chronic defeat stress on global patterns of gene expression in the nucleus accumbens, as determined by microarray analysis”