Role of Nucleus Accumbens in Response to Chronic Stress in Small Male NMRI Mouse

Role of different parts of the brain in stress management, especially nucleus accumbens (NAc), is not well known. In this study the role of NAc in response to chronic stress in male mice were evaluated.
In this experimental study, intra-accumbal uni- and bi-lateral cannulation was performed by stereotaxic instrument. Five minutes before stress induction, 2% lidocaine solution was administered to the animals intra-accumbally. Stress by Communication Box induced to the animals between 9-11 am for 4 consecutive days (8 groups of 6). Plasma corticosterone, food and water intake, animals’ weight gain, and delay time in food intake were measured as stress metabolic signs. Data were analyzed using two-way analysis of variance.
Stress increased plasma corticosterone and delayed the eating time (p It seems that NAc, as a brain structure, plays a role in mediation of chronic stress effects on metabolic functions. There are also some differences between the right and left sides of the NAc which may reflect a kind of side bias in the functions of the NAc.