Fig. 8: Repeated gentle-rocking stress reversed stress-induced emotional and social behavioral deficits in aged mice.

a, b An orbital shaker for gentle rocking (a). Serum GC levels (b) after 5-min gentle rocking at varying speeds (n = 6 animals per group). c Experimental design. Young mice (2 M) subjected to CRST were treated with repeated 5-min gentle rocking (designated R5) at 30 rpm or 60 rpm for 14 days, or treated with low-dose GC (0.1 mg/kg/day) for 14 days (n = 6 animals per group). d, e Basal serum GC levels (d). Expression levels of CRH and AVP in the PVN (e) for the indicated groups. f–k Immobility time in the TST (f) and FST (g). Social behavior test: interaction time (h) with a target versus an empty in the SIT; and interaction time with familiar versus novel targets in the SMT at 5 min (i), 1 h (j) and 24 h (k) post-SIT for the indicated groups. l Experimental design. Aged mice (14.5 M) underwent 14 days of 5-min daily gentle rocking at 60 rpm. A separate group of aged mice undergoing subchronic stress (RST7d) were subjected to the same 14-day gentle rocking treatment (n = 6 animals per group). m, n Basal serum GC levels (m). Transcript levels (n) of CRH and AVP in the PVN for the indicated groups. o–t The immobility time in the TST (o) and FST (p). Social behavior test: interaction time (q) with a target versus an empty in the SIT; and interaction time with familiar versus novel targets in the SMT at 5 min (r), 1 h (s) and 24 h (t) post-SIT for the indicated groups. Data are mean ± s.e.m. *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01 (Student’s t-test; one-way ANOVA followed by Newman–Keuls post-hoc test). See Supplementary Data 4 for statistical details.