Official websites use .gov

A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS

A lock ( 🔒 ) or https:// means you've safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Need Help

Role of gonadal steroids in stress-sensitive neural circuits

Award Number: R03MH134181
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF MENTAL HEALTH
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 08/15/2023
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 08/14/2026

Group Awards By:

View Award Description

Role of gonadal steroids in stress-sensitive neural circuits - Project Summary Social stress is a risk factor for several stress-related psychopathologies, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, most individuals exposed to trauma do not develop stress-related psychopathologies and previous social experience has the potential to improve coping strategies and enable stress resilience. One social experience that contributes to the development of stress resilience is a dominant position in a social hierarchy. In this proposal, we use a Syrian hamster model in which dominant animals show less stress-related behavior than their subordinate counterparts. Our preliminary data indicate that male dominants show increased c-Fos immunoreactivity in androgen receptor (AR)-positive cells in dorsal aspects of the posterior medial amygdala (MePD) compared to their subordinate counterparts. In addition, they show increased c-Fos immunoreactivity in MePD cells projecting to posterior regions of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNSTp) compared to subordinates. Unlike males, dominant female hamsters have a greater number of estrogen receptor alpha (ERα)-positive cells in the MePD compared to subordinates. However, dominant females do not show elevated c-Fos immunoreactivity in BNSTp-projecting MePD cells compared to subordinates. Altogether, these findings suggest that while AR expression in a MePD-BNSTp pathway may be critical for status-dependent differences in stress vulnerability in male hamsters, ERα expression in MePD- BNSTp pathway may not contribute to status-dependent differences in stress vulnerability in female hamsters. Because of these sex differences, we have two separate hypotheses in this proposal. We hypothesize that AR+ neurons in a MePD-BNSTp pathway are essential for status-dependent differences in stress-related behavior in male hamsters. Also, we hypothesize that ERα+ cells in the MePD are necessary for status- dependent differences in stress-related behavior in female hamsters. We will use a Cre-dependent AAV vector that expresses a short hairpin RNA (shRNA) for AR to selectively knockdown AR receptors in a MePD-BNSTp pathway. In addition, we will use an AAV-shRNA to knockdown ERα receptors in the MePD in a non-Cre- dependent manner in both females and males. Overall, this project will investigate the cellular mechanisms and neural circuits by which gonadal steroid hormone receptors contribute to status-dependent changes in stress vulnerability. This line of research will determine how social experience generates neural plasticity in select neural ensembles and thereby changes stress vulnerability in a sex-dependent manner.


Issue Date FY	Funding FY	Legal Entity Name	Legal Entity Address	Legal Entity City	Legal Entity State	Legal Entity Zip Code	Legal Entity COUNTY	Legal Entity COUNTRY	Assistance Listing	Award Code	Budget Year	Action Date	Action Type	Action Amount

Issue Date FY: 2026 ( Subtotal = $0 )
2026	2023	UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE	201 ANDY HOLT TOWER	KNOXVILLE	TN	37996	KNOX	USA	Mental Health Research Grants	000	1	11/21/2025	NEW	$0
														Subtotal = $0

Issue Date FY: 2023 ( Subtotal = $153,000 )
2023	2023	UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE	201 ANDY HOLT TOWER	KNOXVILLE	TN	37996	KNOX	USA	Mental Health Research Grants	000	1	8/14/2023	NEW	$153,000
														Subtotal = $153,000

Grand Total All Awards = $153,000

Top

All Categories

About

Search

Reports

Data Submission

Award Information

Role of gonadal steroids in stress-sensitive neural circuits

Award Number: R03MH134181

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF MENTAL HEALTH

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 08/15/2023

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 08/14/2026

Federal Websites

Department of Health & Human Services

HHS Operating Divisions

HHS Staff Divisions

Download A Document Viewer