Neonatal hippocampal lesion model of schizophrenia in rats: Sex differences and persistence of effects into maturity
✍ Scribed by Mark D. Black; Sarah Lister; Janice M. Hitchcock; Paul Van Giersbergen; Stephen M. Sorensen
- Publisher
- John Wiley and Sons
- Year
- 1998
- Tongue
- English
- Weight
- 382 KB
- Volume
- 43
- Category
- Article
- ISSN
- 0272-4391
No coin nor oath required. For personal study only.
✦ Synopsis
A neurodevelopmental model of schizophrenia in rats has recently been proposed employing neonatal hippocampal lesions. The present study further characterizes this model by investigating the long-term effects of neonatal hippocampal lesions up to 100 days after birth, in male rats as well as female rats. Lesions were performed on postnatal day seven (PD 7).
Our results showed that neonatal hippocampal lesions produced enhanced hyperlocomotory behavior during spontaneous locomotion and after amphetamine administration. In general, these hyperlocomotory effects were more apparent and appeared earlier in male lesioned animals than in female lesioned animals. Lesioned males exhibited a significant increase in spontaneous locomotion on PD 56 and PD 100, whereas lesioned females showed a significant increase in spontaneous locomotion on PD 100 only. On all test days, amphetamine injection produced a significant enhancement of hyperlocomotion in lesioned males and females vs. control; this effect was more pronounced in males. No changes in receptor binding characteristics (D 2 , 5HT 2A and neurotensin) were found between lesioned and sham-operated animals of either sex. These data lend support to the validity of the neonatal hippocampal lesion model of schizophrenia.