Grant: Project Grant

The stress hormone cortisol (aka hydrocortisone) is a glucocorticoid that is needed for development and function of many body systems, and is one of the most widely-prescribed medications. In our blood, cortisol is bound to a protein called corticosteroid-binding globulin (CBG) which carries it in the circulation and controls how it works on target tissues. When the blood levels of CBG are too low, there can be health problems, including poor ability to cope with stress, injury or inflammation, or chronic fatigue/pain and depression. Many of these traits are glucocorticoid dependent, but it remains unclear why these are manifested differently in males and females. A genetically-modified, CBG-deficient rat has been generated to test the role of CBG in modulating sex differences in immune, hormonal, and behavioural responses to stress.