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Journals / Laboratuvar Hayvanları Bilimi ve Uygulamaları Dergisi / 2026 / Cilt: 6 Sayı: 1

Early Social Isolation Induces Anxiety- and Depression-Like Behaviors and Neuroinflammatory Responses in Rats

Erken Sosyal İzolasyon Sıçanlarda Anksiyete ve Depresyon Benzeri Davranışlar ve Nöroinflamatuar Cevaplara Neden Olur

Havva Nur Özçetin(ZONGULDAK BÜLENT ECEVİT ÜNİVERSİTESİ)0000-0001-7921-2361
Hale Sayan Özaçmak(Bülent Ecevit Üniversitesi)0000-0002-3564-0468
İnci Turan(BULENT ECEVIT UNIVERSITY)0000-0003-2211-3914
Pages
39–46
Publication Date
2026-02-09
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AI Summary & Key Takeaways

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⚡ TL;DR(Too Long; Didn't Read)

Behavioral disturbances induced by early-life social isolation stress may involve increased oxidative stress in the PFC and activation of the NF-κB/TLR4/GSK-3β signaling pathway.

📌 3 Key Takeaways

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Objective & Hypothesis:Exposure to stress during early developmental stages adversely affects brain development and is associated with psychiatric conditions such as depression and anxiety.
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Key Findings & Data:In this study, we investigated behavioral changes and levels of oxidative stress and inflammatory mediators in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) of young male Wistar rats subjected to 6 weeks of chronic social isolation.
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Conclusion & Impact:Behavioral disturbances induced by early-life social isolation stress may involve increased oxidative stress in the PFC and activation of the NF-κB/TLR4/GSK-3β signaling pathway.
🔬Design:Araştırma Makalesi
📍Scope:Comprehensive Sample
⚙️Variables:Sosyal izolasyon · Prefrontal korteks · Depresyon

Abstract

Exposure to stress during early developmental stages adversely affects brain development and is associated with psychiatric conditions such as depression and anxiety. In this study, we investigated behavioral changes and levels of oxidative stress and inflammatory mediators in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) of young male Wistar rats subjected to 6 weeks of chronic social isolation. Eighteen male Wistar Albino rats were divided into control and social isolation groups. The isolation group was housed individually for six weeks. Depressive- and anxiety-like behaviors were evaluated by the open field test (OFT) and forced swimming test (FST), respectively. Toll like receptor 4 (TLR4), nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB), glycogen synthase kinase 3 beta (GSK-3β), brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), malondialdehyde (MDA), and reduced glutathione (GSH) levels in the prefrontal cortex were measured. Group differences were analyzed using the Mann–Whitney U test. In the social isolation group, time spent in the center zone during the OFT was reduced, while time in the periphery was significantly increased compared to controls, indicating elevated anxiety-like behavior. Socially isolated rats also exhibited greater immobility in the FST, reflecting depression-like behavior, and showed elevated levels of TLR4, NF-κB, GSK-3β, and MDA. No statistically significant differences were observed between the groups in BDNF and GSH levels. Behavioral disturbances induced by early-life social isolation stress may involve increased oxidative stress in the PFC and activation of the NF-κB/TLR4/GSK-3β signaling pathway.

Özet

Erken gelişim evrelerinde strese maruz kalmak beyin gelişimini olumsuz etkiler ve depresyon ve anksiyete gibi psikiyatrik durumlarla ilişkilidir. Bu çalışmada, 6 hafta kronik sosyal izolasyona tabi tutulan genç erkek Wistar sıçanlarının davranışsal değişiklikleri ve prefrontal korteksindeki (PFC) oksidatif stresi ve inflamatuar mediatörlerin seviyelerini araştırdık. On sekiz erkek Wistar Albino sıçan kontrol ve sosyal izolasyon gruplarına ayrıldı. İzolasyon grubunda yer alan sıçanlar altı hafta boyunca ayrı ayrı barındırıldı. Anksiyete ve depresyon benzeri davranışlar sırasıyla açık alan testi (OFT) ve zorunlu yüzme testi (FST) ile değerlendirildi. Prefrontal kortekste Toll benzeri reseptör 4 (TLR4), nükleer faktör kappa B (NF-κB), glikojen sentaz kinaz 3 beta (GSK-3β), beyin kaynaklı nörotrofik faktör (BDNF), malondialdehit (MDA) ve indirgenmiş glutatyon (GSH) seviyeleri ölçüldü. Grup farklılıkları Mann-Whitney U testi kullanılarak analiz edildi. Sosyal izolasyon grubunda, OFT sırasında merkez bölgede geçirilen süre azalırken, çevre bölgede geçirilen süre kontrollere kıyasla önemli ölçüde arttı ve bu da anksiyete benzeri davranışların arttığını gösterdi. Sosyal olarak izole edilen sıçanlar ayrıca FST'de depresyon benzeri davranışları yansıtan daha fazla hareketsizlik sergilediler ve TLR4, NF-κB, GSK-3β ve MDA seviyeleri yükseldi. Gruplar arasında BDNF ve GSH seviyelerinde istatistiksel olarak anlamlı bir fark gözlenmedi. Yaşamın erken dönemlerinde yaşanan sosyal izolasyon stresinin neden olduğu davranış bozuklukları, PFC'de artan oksidatif stresi ve NF-κB/TLR4/GSK-3β sinyal yolunun aktivasyonunu içerebilir.

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Cite This Article

Özçetin, H. N., Özaçmak, H. S., Turan, İ. (2026). Early Social Isolation Induces Anxiety- and Depression-Like Behaviors and Neuroinflammatory Responses in Rats. Laboratuvar Hayvanları Bilimi ve Uygulamaları Dergisi, Cilt: 6 Sayı: 1, 39–46. https://doi.org/10.62425/jlasp.1778497

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