The goal of the projects described in this POWRE award grant application is to determine if dissimilar acute psychological stressors differentially regulate the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid axis (HPT) of rats. The stress paradigm that is proposed is the controllable/uncontrollable stress paradigm; a pair of rats is subjected to an identical physical stressor, but the two rats differ in the psychological aspect of being able to escape from or control the stressor. Both animals receive the identical physical stressor but differ in the psychological aspect of coping. This experimental paradigm is a powerful tool for determining the pertinent characteristics of a stressor that eventuate specific consequences. Currently, little direct evidence suggests that the HPT may be affected by acute psychological stress, and if so, if it is differentially regulated by controllable vs. uncontrollable stress. However, there is indirect evidence suggesting that thyroid hormone levels and the activity of the HPT axis may be decreased in animals subjected to uncontrollable, but not controllable, stress. Using adult male rats, the proposed experiments will characterize circulating thyroid hormone levels during and after controllable/uncontrollable stress through collection of blood samples and subsequent radioimmunoassay. Circulating levels of thyrotropin (TSH), via radioimmunoassay, will also be determined. In situ hybridization techniques will also be used to assess any potential changes in hypothalamic thyrotropin-releasing-hormone (TRH) mRNA levels. The analysis of preliminary data documenting the activity of the HPT during acute psychological stress will reveal if exploring the role of thyroid hormones in the development of stress related pathologies, both physiological and behavioral, is a worthwhile pursuit. Also, these results may lead to a model system for determining the neural circuits that direct the activity of the hypothalamus, and if they are differently activated by different categories of stressors. These experiments are appropriate for the POWRE funding mechanism for multiple reasons. The principal investigator (PI) recently relocated to Middlebury College for family reasons and plans to embark on her independent research career. This latter effort involves initiating a new area of investigation, but the PI does not have funds available for collection of vital pilot data. Therefore, funding is requested for research supplies and salary support. If awarded the POWRE grant, the PI will be able to collect pilot data, which are necessary for future competition for traditional funding sources. The POWRE grant is especially useful for the applicant because she is currently employed in a non-traditional, non-tenure track position, which again makes competing for traditional funding mechanisms difficult. Therefore, successful completion of the experiments described in the POWRE application will assist the PI in launching her independent research career and aid in procuring future funding through more traditional support mechanisms. Salary support for research activities is vital to allow the PI to focus on her research strengths without the distractions of earning a salary by other means. Additionally, receipt of the grant and pursuit of the research projects will provide the PI an identity within a supportive, professional community in which the PI possesses professional credentials, but lacks identity and concomitant networking abilities because of her non-traditional employment status.
