Brief Reports
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2004. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Sep 1, 2004; 10(17): 2547-2549
Published online Sep 1, 2004. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v10.i17.2547
Changes of mRNA expression of enkephalin and prodynorphin in hippocampus of rats with chronic immobilization stress
Jia-Xu Chen, Wei Li, Xin Zhao, Jian-Xin Yang, Hong-Yan Xu, Zhu-Feng Wang, Guang-Xin Yue
Jia-Xu Chen, Wei Li, Xin Zhao, Jian-Xin Yang, Hong-Yan Xu, Zhu-Feng Wang, Guang-Xin Yue, School of Basic Medical Science, Beijing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100029, China
Author contributions: All authors contributed equally to the work.
Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, No. 30000216, Teaching and Research Award Program for Outstanding Young Teachers in Higher Education Institutes of Ministry of Education, China, Foundation for the Authors of National Excellent Doctoral Dissertations of China, No. 200059, and Fok Ying Tong Education Foundation, No. 81037
Correspondence to: Dr. Jia-Xu Chen, Deputy of TCM Diagnosis Department, Beijing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100029, China. chenjiaxu@hotmail.com
Telephone: +86-10-64287074
Received: December 23, 2003
Revised: January 4, 2004
Accepted: January 16, 2004
Published online: September 1, 2004
Abstract

AIM: To observe the changes of enkephalin mRNA and prodynorphin mRNA in hippocampus of rats induced by chronic immobilization stress.

METHODS: Thirty rats were randomly divided into three groups of 10 each: the normal control group (group A), the group induced by chronic immobilization stress for 7 d (group B) and the group induced by chronic immobilization stress for 21 d (group C). The changes of the enkephalin mRNA and prodynorphin mRNA in the rat hippocampus were detected by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).

RESULTS: Expression levels of enkephalin mRNA and prodynorphin mRNA in rat hippocampus were significantly increased under chronic immobilization stress, and the expression of prodynorphin mRNA in the rat hippocampus in group C was remarkably higher than that in group B (0.624 ± 0.026; n = 5; P < 0.01).

CONCLUSION: The increased enkephalin mRNA and prodynorphin mRNA gene expressions in rat hippocampus were involved in chronic stress.

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