Involvement of the anterodorsal thalami nuclei on the hypophysoadrenal response to chronic stress in rats

Anterodorsal thalami nuclei (AT,TN) exert an inhibitory influence on the hypophysoadrenal system (HAS) under basal and acute stress conditions; however, after chronic stress, the effect is different. The response to chronic immobilization stress (IMO) (forced immobilization for 15 min/day for 12 days) and variable chronic stress (V) (24-day exposure to different stressors per day) of plasma ACTH and corticosterone (C) in rats with anterodorsal thalami nuclei lesions was studied. In sham-lesioned rats, chronic immobilization stress and variable chronic stress induced a significant increase in plasma ACTH and C and a reduction of adrenal C content. After exposure of lesioned rats to chronic immobilization stress, there was a decrease of plasma ACTH compared to that in unstressed lesioned rats. In contrast, there was significant increase in ACTH levels after variable chronic stress, this increase being smaller than the variable increase elicited in sham-lesioned rats. In all stressed lesioned animals, plasma C remained unchanged. However, adrenal C content decreased significantly compared to that in unstressed lesioned rats. These findings demonstrate that anterodorsal thalami nuclei lesions attenuated the hypophysoadrenal system response to chronic stress. These data are in contrast to those obtained in previous studies under basal and acute stress conditions. The reason for this discrepancy is at present unknown, and its elucidation will require further studies. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Inc.