Neuroscience 2003 Abstract
| Presentation Number: | 507.8 |
|---|---|
| Abstract Title: | Neonatal stress alters behavioral sensitization to the dopamine agonist quinpirole: role of testing environment. |
| Authors: |
Perreault, M.*1
; Lowmanowska, A.1
; Szechtman, H.1
1Psychiatry & Behavioural Neurosci., McMaster Univ., Hamilton, Canada |
| Primary Theme and Topics |
Autonomic, Neuroendocrine and Other Homeostatic Systems - Stress and the Brain -- Stress-induced behaviors |
| Session: |
507. Stress-induced Behaviors I Poster |
| Presentation Time: | Monday, November 10, 2003 4:00 PM-5:00 PM |
| Location: | Morial Convention Center - Hall F-I, Board # J54 |
| Keywords: | maternal separation |
Neonatal stress can produce long-lasting effects that manifest themselves in the adult as alterations in behavior and susceptibility to stressors. For instance, newborn rat pups subjected to repeated daily long-term (3 hr) maternal separation tend to show an increased sensitivity to stress compared to pups that experienced short-term separation (15 min), or were not manipulated at all. This effect may reflect in part a stress-induced sensitization of the mesolimbic dopamine system. Here, we investigated whether the adult dopamine system of the neonatally-stressed rat shows enhanced sensitivity, as indexed by the development of behavioral sensitization to repeated injections of the D2/D3 dopamine agonist quinpirole. Considering that the effects of psychostimulant drugs are modulated by the structure of the testing environment, two different apparatuses were employed: a large open field and a small activity chamber. From 2 to 15 days of age, litters were subjected to daily maternal separation for either 3 hrs, 15 min or were left undisturbed. As adults, male rats were assigned to the Open Field or Activity Chamber conditions. They received 13 biweekly injections of either saline or quinpirole (0.5 mg/kg) and their locomotor behavior measured. Results indicated that only the 3 hr maternal separation treatment affected sensitization to quinpirole, and that the direction of this effect depended on the testing environment, with less sensitization in the activity chambers and more in the open field, compared to respective controls from undisturbed litters. It is suggested that long-term maternal separation may reduce the capacity of inhibitory mechanisms controlling dopaminergic activity but sets the inhibitory response at near maximum regardless of the strength of the stress stimuli. (HS is a Senior Research Fellow of the Ontario Mental Health Foundation).
Supported by Canadian Institutes of Health Research (MT-12852).
Sample Citation:
[Authors]. [Abstract Title]. Program No. XXX.XX. 2003 Neuroscience Meeting Planner. New Orleans, LA: Society for Neuroscience, 2003. Online.
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