THE EFFCET OF EMOTIONAL STRESS ON THE C-FOS GENE EXPRESSION OF BRAIN AREAS
情绪应激对不同脑区c-fos表达的影响

To explore the effect of emotional stress on c-fos gene expression of brain area s, two types of animal models of immunomodulation induced by emotional stressor were used. One was footshock apparatus as signal stimuli to cause the rats which were given footshock before emotional stress, the other was empty water bottle to cause the rats which were trained to drink water at two set times each day em otional stress. Both of the emotional stressors were demonstrated to suppress th e primary immunity of rats. The c-fos gene, a nuclear proto-oncogene, is transie ntly expressed in neurons after stimulation and within one hour produces detecta ble amounts of its product, c-fos. Immunocytochemical localization of the c-fos protein was used to determine neuronal activation in areas of the central nervou s system. After two hours of emotional stress, the rats were perfused transcardi ally, then the brains were removed, blocked, immersed, cut with a freezing micro tome, immunocytochemical stained.The results showed that compared to rats in con trol groups, c-fos protein was strongly expressed at several brain areas in rats of the emotional stressed group. The brain areas contain frontal cortex, cingul um cortex, amygdala, anterior commissure nucleus, arcuate nucleus, diffuse part of dorsalmedial nucleus hypothalamus, solitary nucleus. Conclusion: These brain areas maybe the major central areas activated by the emotional stress.