Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32393336›Full record

ArticleBiology of sex differences2020

Sex differences in traumatic stress reactivity in rats with and without a history of alcohol drinking.

Lucas Albrechet-Souza, Connor L Schratz, Nicholas W Gilpin

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Biology of sex differences, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 42 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
42citing papers in PubMed
3.7field-weighted citation impact, top 5% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

42 citing papers in PubMed, 52 citations in OpenAlex.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Lucas Albrechet-SouzaDepartment of Physiology, School of Medicine, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA, USA. ldesou@lsuhsc.edu.ORCID 0000-0002-8445-9657
Connor L SchratzDepartment of Physiology, School of Medicine, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA, USA.
Nicholas W GilpinDepartment of Physiology, School of Medicine, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA, USA.
Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center New Orleans · USSoutheast Louisiana Veterans Health Care System · US

Funding

Role of Neuropeptides in Stress-Induced Escalation of Alcohol DrinkingR01AA023305 · NIAAA · LSU HEALTH SCIENCES CENTER · PI GILPIN, NICHOLAS WARREN · 2014 to 2024
$3.7M
Traumatic stress increases alcohol drinking via endocannabinoid disinhibition of basolateral amygdalaR01AA026531 · NIAAA · LSU HEALTH SCIENCES CENTER · PI GILPIN, NICHOLAS WARREN, TASKER, JEFFREY G · 2017 to 2021
$1.9M
Targeting Melanocortin-4 Receptors to Reduce Pain in U.S. VeteransI01BX003451 · VA · SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA VETERANS HEALTH CARE · PI GILPIN, NICHOLAS WARREN · 2017 to 2025
–
BLRD VA I01 BX003451NIAAA NIH HHS R01 AA023305NIAAA NIH HHS R01 AA026531
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAlcohol misuse and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are highly comorbid, and treatment outcomes are worse in individuals with both conditions. Although more men report experiencing traumatic events than women, the lifetime prevalence of PTSD is twice as high in females. Despite these data trends in humans, preclinical studies of traumatic stress reactivity have been performed almost exclusively in male animals.

methodsThis study was designed to examine sex differences in traumatic stress reactivity in alcohol-naive rats (experiment 1) and rats given intermittent access to 20% ethanol in a 2-bottle choice paradigm for 5 weeks (experiment 2). Animals were exposed to predator odor (bobcat urine) and tested for contextual avoidance 24 h later; unstressed controls were never exposed to predator odor. We evaluated changes in physiological arousal using the acoustic startle response (ASR) test at day 2 post-stress and anxiety-like behavior measured in the elevated plus-maze (EPM) at day 17 post-stress. In experiment 3, time course of corticosterone response was examined in male and female rats following exposure to predator odor stress.

resultsAlcohol-naive males and females exposed to predator odor displayed blunted weight gain 24 h post-stress, but only a subset of stressed animals exhibited avoidance behavior. In alcohol-drinking animals, the proportion of avoiders was higher in males than females, and predator odor exposure increased ASR in males only. Stressed females exhibited blunted ASR relative to unstressed females and stressed males, regardless of alcohol drinking history. Alcohol-experienced females presented lower anxiety-like behavior and higher general activity in the EPM in comparison with alcohol-experienced males. Plasma corticosterone levels were higher in females immediately after predator odor exposure until 60 min post-stress relative to males.

conclusionsWe report robust sex differences in behavioral and endocrine responses to bobcat urine exposure in adult Wistar rats. Also, males with a history of chronic moderate alcohol drinking exhibited increased traumatic stress reactivity relative to alcohol-drinking females. Our findings emphasize the importance of considering sex as a biological variable in the investigation of traumatic stress effects on physiology and behavior.

Indexed as

Sex CharacteristicsStress, PsychologicalAlcohol DrinkingAnimalsAnxietyCorticosteroneFemaleMaleOdorantsRats, WistarReflex, StartleCorticosteroneAlcoholArousalBobcat urineCorticosteronePredator odorSex differencesStartleStressTrauma

Identifiers

PMID32393336
PMCPMC7216391
OpenAlexW3027995492

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.