Depression is potentially life-threatening. The most important neuroendocrine abnormality in this disorder is hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axis hyperactivity. Recent findings suggest that all depression treatments may boost the neurotrophin production especially brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). Moreover, BDNF is highly involved in the regulation of HPA axis activity. The aim of this study was to determine the impact of chronic stress (restraint 3h/day for 3 weeks) on animal behavior and HPA axis activity in parallel with hippocampus, hypothalamus and pituitary BDNF levels. Chronic stress induced changes in anxiety (light/dark box test) and anhedonic states (sucrose preference test) and in depressive-like behavior (forced swimming test); general locomotor activity and body temperature were modified and animal body weight gain was reduced by 17%. HPA axis activity was highly modified by chronic stress, since basal levels of mRNA and peptide hypothalamic contents in CRH and AVP and plasma concentrations in ACTH and corticosterone were significantly increased. The HPA axis response to novel acute stress was also modified in chronically stressed rats, suggesting adaptive mechanisms. Basal BDNF contents were increased in the hippocampus, hypothalamus and pituitary in chronically stressed rats and the BDNF response to novel acute stress was also modified. This multiparametric study showed that chronic restraint stress induced a depressive-like state that was sustained by mechanisms associated with BDNF regulation.
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