Table 1.
Schematic organization of the chronic unpredictable mild stress protocol.
| GROUP | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TIME | STRESSOR | CNT | STS | LTS |
| Day 0 | Isolation | Isolation | ||
| Day 1 | Home cage inclination (1 h) | |||
| Day 2 | Food deprivation (24 h) | |||
| Day 3 | Restraint (1 h) | |||
| Day 4 | Water deprivation (24 h) | |||
| Day 5 | Light–dark cycle alterations (24 h) | |||
| Day 6 | Forced Swim (5 min) | |||
| Day 7 | Exposition to rat sawdust (4 h) | |||
| Day 8 | Home cage inclination (1 h) | |||
| Day 9 | Water deprivation (24 h) | |||
| Day 10 | Restraint (1 h) | |||
| Day 11 | Light–dark cycle alterations (24 h) | |||
| Day 12 | Food deprivation (24 h) | |||
| Day 13 | Restraint (1 h) | |||
| Day 14 | Exposition to rat sawdust (4 h) | |||
| Day 15 | Home cage inclination (1 h) | |||
| Day 16 | Light–dark cycle alterations (24 h) | |||
| Day 17 | Forced Swim (5 min) | |||
| Day 18 | Exposition to rat sawdust (4 h) | |||
| Day 19 | Water deprivation (24 h) | |||
| Day 20 | Forced Swim (5 min) | |||
| Day 21 | Exposition to rat sawdust (4 h) | |||
| Day 22 | Home cage inclination (1 h) | |||
| Day 23 | Food deprivation (24 h) | |||
| Day 24 | Water deprivation (24 h) | |||
| Day 25 | Light–dark cycle alterations (24 h) | |||
| Day 26 | Food deprivation (24 h) | Isolation | ||
| Day 27 | Restraint (1 h) | +4-HT | +4-HT | +4-HT |
| Day 28 | Forced Swim (5 min) | +4-HT | +4-HT | +4-HT |
Left column: day of stress; second column: stressor type; third column: control non-stressed group of mice; fourth column: short-term-stressed group of mice (2 days of stress); fifth column: long-term-stressed group of mice (28 days of stress). Note that gray cells illustrate real days in which each group of mice received a stressful stimulus. 4-HT: 4-Hydroxytamoxifen.