Lehman C D, Rodin J, McEwen B, Brinton R
Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520.
Behav Neurosci. 1991 Apr;105(2):241-5. doi: 10.1037//0735-7044.105.2.241.
To investigate the influence of environmental factors on inherited tendencies, the impact of chronic environmental stress on the expression of a genetically determined autoimmune disease was explored in the bio-breeding (BB) rat, which is an animal model for human autoimmune insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. Animals assigned at random to the experimental group received a triad of stressors designed to model chronic moderate stress over a 14-week period. Animals from 25 to 130 days of age were weighed and tested for glycosuria twice weekly. Weekly blood sampling was performed on all animals. Diabetes was diagnosed on the basis of weight loss, 2+ glycosuria, and blood glucose levels of 250+ mg/dl. We found that in the BB rat chronic stress significantly increased the incidence of the phenotypic expression of the gene for Type I diabetes. Eighty percent of the male stress and 70% of the female stress animals developed diabetes, compared with 50% in both control groups. Stressed males developed manifest diabetes at the same time as their matched controls, whereas stressed females had significantly delayed onset in relation to controls.
为了研究环境因素对遗传倾向的影响，在生物繁殖（BB）大鼠中探讨了慢性环境应激对一种由基因决定的自身免疫性疾病表达的影响，BB大鼠是人类自身免疫性胰岛素依赖型糖尿病的动物模型。随机分配到实验组的动物接受一组应激源，旨在模拟14周内的慢性中度应激。对25至130日龄的动物每周称重两次，并检测尿糖。对所有动物每周进行一次采血。根据体重减轻、尿糖2+以及血糖水平250+mg/dl来诊断糖尿病。我们发现，在BB大鼠中，慢性应激显著增加了I型糖尿病基因表型表达的发生率。应激组中80%的雄性和70%的雌性动物患糖尿病，而两个对照组的这一比例均为50%。应激雄性动物与匹配的对照组同时出现明显的糖尿病，而应激雌性动物相对于对照组发病明显延迟。
