Strain-specific outcomes of repeated social defeat and chronic fluoxetine treatment in the mouse

►The study illustrates how mouse strains differing in baseline emotionality respond to social defeat stress, thus highlighting strain-specific coping strategies. ►In particular, C57BL6/J and BalbC mice showed predominant alterations supportive of metabolic and behavioral susceptibility, respectively. Strain-specific outcomes of a chronic fluoxetine treatment in several domains related to long-term stress responses and mood disturbances were also demonstrated. ►This approach may provide a valid experimental tool to study different susceptibility levels to stress and vulnerability to its deleterious consequences, aiming at establishing a translational model with relevance for human pathology.