Gender Differences of Anxiety Induced by Occlusal Interference in Mice

doi:10.13701/j.cnki.kqyxyj.2022.02.019

Abstract

Abstract: Objective: To observe and compare the anxiety-like behavior of male and female mice, the neural activation in brain regions related to emotional regulation, and corticosterone levels in serum. Methods: 8-week-old C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into male occlusal interference group, male control group, female occlusal interference group, and female control group. On day 7 and day 14, the anxiety of mice was detected by open field test, elevated plus maze, and light-dark box test, the activation of neurons in emotion-related brain areas was observed by immunohistochemical staining, and the serum corticosterone levels was detected to evaluate the body's stress level. Results: Behavioral test results showed that the anxiety-like behavior of mice in both male and female occlusal interference group increased significantly (P<0.05), but there was no significant statistical difference between these two groups. Immunohistochemical staining results showed that the activation level of medial prefrontal cortex, insular cortex, nucleus accumbens, central amygdala, basolateral amygdala, and parasubthalamic nucleus of male and female mice were increased significantly after occlusal interference (P<0.05). Serum corticosterone results showed that serum corticosterone levels of female occlusal interference group increased significantly (P<0.05), while there was no significant statistical difference in male occlusal interference group on the 14th day after modeling (P>0.05). Conclusion: The experimental occlusal interference of anterior teeth can lead to an increase of anxiety-like behaviors and a significant increase of neuronal activation in emotion-related brain regions in male and female mice in a short period of time, and lead to increased stress levels in female mice.

Key words: occlusal interference, anxiety, gender difference, stress

LI Juan, XU Ming, ZHANG Qi, LIU Weicai. Gender Differences of Anxiety Induced by Occlusal Interference in Mice[J]. Journal of Oral Science Research, 2022, 38(2): 191-196.

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