Figure 3.
Relative HPA axis gene expression levels in hippocampus (A), hypothalamus (B), and blood (C). The white bars show the gene expression levels of CORT treated mice compared with those of the vehicle solution-treated control mice at the conclusion of 4 wk of the treatment phase of the experiment (n = 5). The black bars show the gene expression levels of CORT-treated mice compared with those of the corresponding control mice at the conclusion of 4 wk of the recovery phase of the experiment, in the absence of corticosterone (n = 5). Expression levels were normalized to those of β-actin. The dotted line in each graph is used to indicate the normalized levels of gene expression for the control group. Asterisks represent statistically significant differences between the CORT group and the corresponding control group of the same time period. In blood, levels of Crh and Crhr1 were undetectable.