Altered ADAR1 in mice affected by social isolation stress-induced cognitive deficits

Adenosine deaminase acting on RNA (ADAR) activity increases in response to inflammation. Social isolation stress is related to neuroinflammation; however, it remains unclear whether ADAR1 is altered in response to social isolation stress-induced cognitive deficits. To investigate our hypothesis that ADAR1 displayed patterns of change in response to social isolation stress, we addressed this issue systemically by isolating Kunming mice for 2, 4 and 8 weeks individually since postnatal 21 days to set up isolation mouse model. Furthermore, we arranged re-socialization group to evaluate the alterations of ADAR1 in the cognitive deficits recovery. The results of behavior tests showed that social isolation stress resulted in cognitive dysfunction, which was recovered by resocialization in re-gregarious rearing group. Furthermore, the immunohistochemistry and western blot results displayed that both the immunoreactivity and protein expression of ADAR1 in the hippocampus and frontal cortex increased obviously as compared to the same age mice without isolation. The above abnormal alterations of ADAR1 were recovered by re-socialization in re-gregarious rearing group. Our study supports the hypothesis that ADAR1 is altered in mice affected by social isolation stress-induced cognitive deficits.