Chronic Stress Reveals Distinct Responses in Brain Cells of Males and Females

Chronic Stress Reveals Distinct Responses in Brain Cells of Males and Females. Researchers have shown that a subgroup of brain cells reacts to stress in males and females very differently. The results may clarify how chronic stress links to anxiety, depression, obesity, and diabetes, leading to specialized treatments.

Chronic stress results in an ongoing rise in mental and physical problems

Chronic stress results in an ongoing rise in mental and physical problems, which has a huge negative impact on society. Although not always in the same way, they have an impact on both men and women. Men and women handle stress in different ways, according to a wealth of information, but the reasons why these disparities exist are still unknown. In any case, there are no personalized treatments available for men or women. But Chen’s laboratory, which focuses on researching how the body reacts to stress, made the claim that cutting-edge research techniques might help alter the situation.

However, researchers obtained those results using research techniques that could mask significant variations in the reactions of specific cells or even entirely eliminate the functions carried out by relatively uncommon cells. Earlier investigations in other labs had discovered some sex differences in the response to stress. In contrast, Chen’s group employs cutting-edge techniques that enable researchers to examine brain activity at a previously unheard-of granularity—on the level of the individual cell—and may, as a result, throw new light on the disparities between the sexes.

The study’s principal investigator, According to Dr. Elena Brivio

The study’s principal investigator, According to Dr. Elena Brivio, “We focused on the area of the brain that serves as a main hub of the stress response in mammals, the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) of the hypothalamus, using the most sensitive research lens imaginable. We were able to map the stress response in male and female mice along three main axes by sequencing the RNA molecules in that part of the brain at the cellular level: how each type of brain cell in that region reacts to stress, how each type of cell previously exposed to chronic stress reacts to a fresh stress encounter, and how these responses vary between males and females.

Responses to the gene expression of over 35,000 cells highlight how stress affects males and females differently. Researchers published the extensive dataset as part of open-access principles. The platform went live with the study, offering easy access to data. This enables researchers to track gene activity changes in response to stress across cell types and genders.

Responses to Chronic Stress: Researchers’ Thorough Mapping Enables Insights

The thorough mapping has already enabled the researchers to pinpoint numerous variations in gene expression, including those between males and females and between acute and chronic stress. The findings revealed, among other things, that different brain cells react to stress in males and females in various ways: Some cells are more sensitive to stress in males and some to stress in females. Researchers found that oligodendrocytes, key glial cells supporting nerve cells and brain activity, showed the most significant changes.

Dr. Juan Pablo Lopez emphasized that neurons, though central, comprise only about a third of all brain cells. A former postdoctoral fellow in Chen’s group, he now leads a research team at Karolinska Institute’s Neuroscience Department. He emphasized that their method provides a detailed understanding of every cell type and their interconnections in the brain.

Responses to Chronic Stress: Unveiling Simple Diversity

Clinical trials for new medications were only carried out on men up until the 1980s. The consensus was that including women would complicate the study with variables like menstruation and hormonal shifts. Previously, researchers discouraged the utilization of female animals in preclinical experiments for similar reasons. Researchers formerly discouraged the use of female animals in preclinical experiments for the same reasons. There’s no reason to think females complicate trials more; male animals often show greater molecular and behavioral variability.

Nevertheless, it’s a common practice in basic science to only use male subjects for tests. Our findings highlight the importance of considering gender in stress-related health conditions, including depression and diabetes. This is vital as it markedly influences the responses of diverse brain cells to stress,” remarks Chen. Brivio emphasizes that including female subjects is crucial, even if a study doesn’t explicitly focus on gender distinctions. Equally crucial is using detailed research methods to capture the most comprehensive portrayal of brain activity possible.

The research team, with Responses from Dr. Aron Kos, Stoyo Karamihalev, Andrea Ressle, Rainer Stoffel, and Dr. Mathias V. Schmidt at the Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry in Munich, also included Dr. Alessandro Francesco Ulivi from the Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology in Magdeburg, Germany, Dana Hirsch from Weizmann’s Veterinary Resources Department, and Dr. Gil Stelzer from Weizmann’s Life Sciences Core Facilities Department.