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Cortisol responses to emotional stress in men: association with a functional polymorphism in the 5HTR2C gene.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Brummett, BH; Kuhn, CM; Boyle, SH; Babyak, MA; Siegler, IC; Williams, RB
Published in: Biol Psychol
January 2012

The serotonin 5HTR2C receptor has been shown to mediate HPA axis activation during stress. We hypothesized that a functional polymorphism (rs6318) of the 5HTR2C gene would be associated with HPA axis response to a laboratory stress protocol. The present sample consisted of 41 men (22 African Americans, 19 Caucasians). We found that at rest men with the more active rs6318 Ser23 C allele had similar cortisol values compared to those with the less active Cys23 G allele. During laboratory stress, however, men with the Ser23 C allele exhibited the predicted significantly higher cortisol levels (p<0.001), as well as larger increases in anger (p=0.08) and depressive mood (p=0.006) ratings, compared to the Cys23 G carriers. The increase in cortisol was significantly related to the increases in ratings of anger and depression assessed before and after the emotion induction, and these correlations became nonsignificant when rs6318 genotype was covaried. We conclude that genetic variation in 5HTR2C may be associated with HPA axis activation and stimulated by emotional stress, and also with both psychological and physiological endophenotypes that increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and type-2 diabetes.

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Published In

Biol Psychol

DOI

EISSN

1873-6246

Publication Date

January 2012

Volume

89

Issue

1

Start / End Page

94 / 98

Location

Netherlands

Related Subject Headings

  • Young Adult
  • Stress, Psychological
  • Statistics as Topic
  • Serine
  • Receptor, Serotonin, 5-HT2C
  • Radioimmunoassay
  • Psychiatric Status Rating Scales
  • Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide
  • Middle Aged
  • Male
 

Citation

APA
Chicago
ICMJE
MLA
NLM
Brummett, B. H., Kuhn, C. M., Boyle, S. H., Babyak, M. A., Siegler, I. C., & Williams, R. B. (2012). Cortisol responses to emotional stress in men: association with a functional polymorphism in the 5HTR2C gene. Biol Psychol, 89(1), 94–98. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsycho.2011.09.013
Brummett, Beverly H., Cynthia M. Kuhn, Stephen H. Boyle, Michael A. Babyak, Ilene C. Siegler, and Redford B. Williams. “Cortisol responses to emotional stress in men: association with a functional polymorphism in the 5HTR2C gene.Biol Psychol 89, no. 1 (January 2012): 94–98. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsycho.2011.09.013.
Brummett BH, Kuhn CM, Boyle SH, Babyak MA, Siegler IC, Williams RB. Cortisol responses to emotional stress in men: association with a functional polymorphism in the 5HTR2C gene. Biol Psychol. 2012 Jan;89(1):94–8.
Brummett, Beverly H., et al. “Cortisol responses to emotional stress in men: association with a functional polymorphism in the 5HTR2C gene.Biol Psychol, vol. 89, no. 1, Jan. 2012, pp. 94–98. Pubmed, doi:10.1016/j.biopsycho.2011.09.013.
Brummett BH, Kuhn CM, Boyle SH, Babyak MA, Siegler IC, Williams RB. Cortisol responses to emotional stress in men: association with a functional polymorphism in the 5HTR2C gene. Biol Psychol. 2012 Jan;89(1):94–98.
Journal cover image

Published In

Biol Psychol

DOI

EISSN

1873-6246

Publication Date

January 2012

Volume

89

Issue

1

Start / End Page

94 / 98

Location

Netherlands

Related Subject Headings

  • Young Adult
  • Stress, Psychological
  • Statistics as Topic
  • Serine
  • Receptor, Serotonin, 5-HT2C
  • Radioimmunoassay
  • Psychiatric Status Rating Scales
  • Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide
  • Middle Aged
  • Male