Topic: sex-dependent differences

Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is a prevalent global cause of disability, affecting approximately 5% of adults, and has a higher incidence in females. Despite its significant impact, its diverse symptoms and causes lack clear identification, hindering effective treatments. Understanding the underlying mechanisms is crucial. Studies in various brain areas indicate an astrocyte pathology in MDD, revealing reduced numbers and altered morphology, gene, and protein expression. Astrocytes influence synapse remodeling, crucial for neuronal network maturation. Notably, their phagocytic ability, facil

Ulcerative colitis, a chronic inflammatory bowel disease, is often associated with mental health disorders exacerbated by chronic stress. Environmental enrichment has been shown to alleviate stress and inflammation in mice, therefore we hypothesized that it may mitigate the adverse behavioral and neurobiological outcomes associated with experimental colitis. To study this, male and female mice were kept in 2 different housing conditions, conventional small cages (SE) or an enriched environment (EE), for 8 weeks. Subgroups were treated with dextran sulphate sodium (DSS) to induce experimental c