Chronic restraint stress increases the protein expression of VEGF and its receptor VEGFR-2 in the prefrontal cortex.

In the present study the central and peripheral regulation of VEGF, its cognate receptors, and regulators were examined after acute and chronic restraint stress in rats. After chronic restraint stress (6 h per day for 21 days) the protein levels of VEGF (175 ± 24%) and its receptor VEGFR-2 (169 ± 17%) increased significantly in the prefrontal cortex (A and B). mRNA levels of VEGFR-2 (132 ± 11%) were also significantly increased (D). In the hippocampus no significant changes were observed at the mRNA or protein levels. In serum there was a tendency towards increased VEGF protein expression after both acute and chronic restraint stress (C).