Early life stress-induced depression reveals distinct region-specific modulation of unfolded protein response genes in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus of rats

In conclusion, our study indicates that ELS disrupts the UPR specifically in the hippocampus, suggesting a stress-induced, region-specific molecular signature linked to depression pathophysiology. On the other hand, changes in hippocampal and prefrontal UPR gene expression remain evident in the MS-enrichment group, suggesting that environmental enrichment can improve these changes but does not fully reverse them.