Variation in the oxytocin receptor gene is associated with increased risk for anxiety, stress and depression in individuals with a history of exposure to early life stress

Background - Oxytocin is a neuropeptide that is involved in the regulation of mood, anxiety and social biology. Genetic variation in the oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR) has been implicated in anxiety, depression and related stress phenotypes. It is not yet known whether OXTR interacts with other risk factors such as early life trauma to heighten the severity of experienced anxiety and depression.Methods - In this study, we examined genotypes in 653 individuals and tested whether SNP variation in OXTR correlates with severity of features of self-reported experience on the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS), and whether this correlation is enhanced when early life trauma is taken into account. We also assessed the effects of OXTR SNPs on RNA expression levels in two separate brain tissue cohorts totaling 365 samples.Results - A significant effect of OXTR genotype on DASS anxiety, stress and depression scores was found and ELS events, in combination with several different OXTR SNPs, were significantly associated with differences in DASS scores with one SNP (rs139832701) showing significant association or a trend towards association for all three measures. Several OXTR SNPs were correlated with alterations in OXTR RNA expression and rs3831817 replicated across both sets of tissues.Conclusions - These results support the hypothesis that the oxytocin system plays a role in the pathophysiology of mood and anxiety disorders

Animal Models of Ischemic Stroke

Stroke is the second leading cause of death worldwide. Up to 80% of strokes are ischemic and take place due to occlusion of major cerebral arteries or its branches. The pathophysiology of stroke is multifaceted, involving excitotoxicity and activation of inflammatory pathways leading to disturbances in ion channels, oxidative damage, and apoptosis. Thrombolytics are the only FDA-approved drug for ischemic stroke. In order to study the pathophysiology, development of a reliable and reproducible model of ischemic stroke is of great importance. The ideal animal model is the one which can mimic the features of the pathology. This chapter summarizes the models of ischemic stroke with its advantages and limitations