Luo Yifeng, Cao Zhihong, Wang Dongqing, Wu Liwei, Li Yuefeng, Sun Weibin, Zhu Yan
Department of Radiology, The Affiliated Yixing Hospital of Jiangsu University, 75 Tongzhenguan Road, Wuxi, 214200, Jiangsu, China.
Neurol Sci. 2014 Nov;35(11):1777-83. doi: 10.1007/s10072-014-1837-y. Epub 2014 Jun 15.
The reduction of hippocampal volume remains controversial in depression because of the variability among individuals in clinical studies. Here, a reliable experimental rat model of depression, established by chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS), was used. Thirty rats were randomly divided into two groups (CUMS group and control group). Hippocampal volume was dynamically measured every 2 weeks in a 56-day chronic stress procedure using structural magnetic resonance imaging, and the correlation between the hippocampal volume and the learning and memory changes was investigated. Our results demonstrated that CUMS rats showed significantly smaller volumes of the bilateral hippocampus compared to that of the controls, changing dramatically with the development of CUMS procedure. The left hippocampal volume was reduced earlier and more markedly than the right one from the 2nd week to the 8th week of the CUMS procedure (on the 8th week: left: approximately 15.3 %; right: approximately 8.4 % reduction). Additionally, the hippocampal volume of CUMS rats was significantly negatively correlated with the learning and memory changes. Of note, it showed that the more obviously the hippocampal volume reduced, the more severely the learning and memory damaged. In conclusion, the hippocampal volume decreased gradually and dynamically and was correlated with the impairment of the learning and memory in depression.
由于临床研究中个体之间存在差异，海马体体积缩小在抑郁症中仍存在争议。在此，我们使用了通过慢性不可预测轻度应激（CUMS）建立的可靠的抑郁症实验大鼠模型。30只大鼠被随机分为两组（CUMS组和对照组）。在为期56天的慢性应激过程中，每2周使用结构磁共振成像动态测量海马体体积，并研究海马体体积与学习记忆变化之间的相关性。我们的结果表明，与对照组相比，CUMS大鼠双侧海马体体积显著更小，且随CUMS过程的发展而显著变化。在CUMS过程的第2周 至第8周，左侧海马体体积比右侧更早且更明显地减小（第8周时：左侧：约减少15.3%；右侧：约减少8.4%）。此外，CUMS大鼠的海马体体积与学习记忆变化显著负相关。值得注意的是，海马体体积缩小越明显，学习记忆受损越严重。总之，海马体体积在抑郁症中逐渐且动态地减小，并与学习记忆损害相关。
