Chronic stress has various effects on organisms and is sex-specific. The aim of the study was to describe the expression of synapse strengthening protein, dendrin, in the spinal cord (SC) and the dependence of its expression on chronic stress and sex hormones. Thirteen-month-old female and male rats were castrated (ovariectomy [F-OVX] or orchidectomy [M-ORX]) or sham-operated (F-SH or M-SH), respectively. At age 15 months, three 10-day-sessions of sham stress (control, C) or chronic stress (S) were conducted. Dendrin expression was present in the thoracic SC segments and the dorsal root ganglia (DRG). In the SC, dendrin expression was prominent in superficial laminae of the dorsal horn and lamina X (central canal). The M-ORX-S group had the highest dendrin expression in the dorsal horn, being significantly higher than the M-ORX-C or M-SH-S groups (P < 0.05). Dendrin expression was significantly higher in the F-SH-S group than the F-SH-C group (P < 0.05), as well as in the F-SH-S than the M-SH-S (P < 0.05). Co-localization with the α-d-galactosyl-specific isolectin B4 (IB4) in central projections of the DRG neurons in the dorsal horn of the SC was 7.43 ± 3.36%, while with the calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) was 8.47 ± 4.45%. Localization of dendrin was observed in soma and nuclei of neurons in the dorsal horn. Dendrin expression in pain-processing areas of the SC, the DRG neurons and their peripheral projections suggest possible roles in pain perception and modulation. Stress-induced increase in dendrin expression and its dependence on sex hormones may partially explain sex-specific pain hypersensitivity induced by stress.

慢性压力对生物体有多种影响，并且具有性别特异性。该研究的目的是描述脊髓 (SC) 中突触强化蛋白树突蛋白的表达及其表达对慢性压力和性激素的依赖性。13 个月大的雌性和雄性大鼠分别被阉割（卵巢切除术 [F-OVX] 或兰花切除术 [M-ORX]）或假手术（F-SH 或 M-SH）。在 15 个月大时，进行了三个为期 10 天的假压力（控制，C）或慢性压力（S）会话。树突蛋白表达存在于胸段 SC 和背根神经节 (DRG)。在 SC 中，树突蛋白表达在背角和 X 层（中央管）的浅层中很突出。M-ORX-S组背角树突蛋白表达最高，明显高于M-ORX-C或M-SH-S组。P  < 0.05)。F-SH-S组Dendrin表达显着高于F-SH-C组（P  < 0.05），F-SH-S中Dendrin表达高于M-SH-S（P < 0.05)。与 α-d-半乳糖基特异性同种凝集素 B4 (IB4) 在 SC 背角 DRG 神经元的中央投射中的共定位为 7.43 ± 3.36%，而与降钙素基因相关肽 (CGRP) 共定位为 8.47 ± 4.45%。在背角神经元的胞体和细胞核中观察到树突蛋白的定位。SC 疼痛处理区域中的树突蛋白表达、DRG 神经元及其外周投射表明可能在疼痛感知和调节中发挥作用。压力引起的树突蛋白表达增加及其对性激素的依赖可能部分解释了压力引起的性别特异性疼痛过敏。