Pubertal- and Stress-Dependent Changes in Cellular Activation and Expression of Excitatory Amino Acid Receptor Subunits in the Paraventricular Nucleus of the Hypothalamus in Male and Female Rats

Though not supporting our initial predictions, these data do indicate that age and stress influence the activation of the PVN and the expression of glutamate receptor subunits important in its function. These data also suggest that the effects of age and stress are different in males and females. Though still far from a clear understanding of what mechanism(s) mediate pubertal shift in stress reactivity, these data add to our growing understanding of how age, stress, and sex influence HPA function.