Fig. 7.

Chronic stress upregulates CNTF expression in female, but not male, MeA. Female and male wildtype CNTF+/+ mice treated with 4 weeks of control handling or CUS, without subsequent restraint, in Fig. 4 were used to measure gene expression. A) In the female MeA, CUS increased CNTF mRNA measured by RT-qPCR and protein by densitometry of Western blots. B) CUS did not alter CNTFRα, or IL-6, LIF and TNF mRNA in the female MeA. N = 5,10 mice for mRNA analysis and N = 5 mice/group for protein analysis. *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01 (Two-tailed t-test). C) CUS did not affect CNTF mRNA expression in the hypothalamic PVN (Hyp), hippocampus (Hip) and BNST of the same females. N = 5,5 mice. D) In the male MeA, CUS had no effect on CNTF, CNTFRα, IL-6 or TNF, but increased LIF mRNA expression. N = 6,7 mice. *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01 (Two-tailed t-test).