Team : REMEMBER
Supervisor : Lionel MOULEDOUS (CRCA-CBI)
Committee members :
- Dr. Lionel Moulédous – CRCA
- Pr. Bruno Guiard – CRCA
- Dr. Catherine Mollereau-Manaute – CRCA
- Dr. Domonique Massotte – Institut des neurosciences cellulaires et intégratives INCI – Université de Strasbourg
- Dr. Sophie Tronel – Bordeaux Neurocampus
- Dr. Jean-Phillipe Guilloux – Université Paris-Sud, Université Paris Saclay
Abstract :
The physiological response to stress allows organisms to adapt. Nevertheless, when stress is sustained in time, the response becomes maladaptive and causes memory deficits and structural impairments in the hippocampus, a key region for memory. However, the mechanisms underlying these deleterious effects are not fully understood. Stress induces the release of a neuropeptide named Nociceptin/OrphaninFQ which acts on its receptors called NOP and possesses amnesic properties. We thus hypothesized that it could be a mediator of these negative effects of chronic stress.
We demonstrated that NOP receptor blockade restores long-term memory performance in mice models of chronic stress. Furthermore, we revealed a protective effect of NOP blockade on the alterations of hippocampus structure due to chronic stress.
This work paves the way for the development of new strategies using the NOP receptor as a pharmacological target for the treatment of memory deficits in stress-related disorders.