Date of Award

Spring 5-31-2025

Document Type

Honors Project

University Scholars Director

Dr. Joshua Tom

First Advisor/Committee Member

Dr. John Douglass

Second Advisor/Committee Member

Dr. Phillip Baker

Keywords

neuroinflammation, ventral tegmental area (VTA), astrocytes, microglia, chronic stress, mesolimbic system

Abstract

Chronic stress has been associated with maladaptive behaviors in both human and animal research models, but the underlying mechanisms are unclear. In this research study, we sought to define whether stress induces neural inflammation in the ventral tegmental area, the brain region primarily responsible for regulating reward consumption, learning, memory, and addictive behaviors through moderating dopamine release in other brain areas. To do this, male Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to a chronic intermittent stress paradigm that included stressors such as wet bedding, delayed feedings, social isolation, strobe lights, and forced swims. Following the chronic stress intervention, brain sections were collected from control and experimental groups, and subsequent immunohistological analysis was performed of microglia and astrocytes, cell types known to mediate inflammatory responses within the brain. By assessing inflammation in the ventral tegmental area through fluorescent microscopy and quantitative morphological analysis of these glial cell types, we will establish whether inflammation in this key brain region regulating motivation may be involved in the harmful behavioral outcomes that are often associated with chronic stress.

Comments

A project submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Bachelor of Arts degree in Honors Liberal Arts, Seattle Pacific University, 2025.

Streaming Media

Copyright Status

http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Additional Rights Information

Copyright held by author.

Download
Files over 3MB may be slow to open. For best results, right-click and select "save as..."

Share

COinS
 
Copyright Status