Document Detail


Influence of sex and estrous cycle on the effects of acute tryptophan depletion induced by a gelatin-based mixture in adult Wistar rats.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  17531394     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
Women are more vulnerable to develop depression and anxiety disorders than men. This may be related to higher serotonergic vulnerability in women. Serotonergic vulnerability entails that differences between people in the regulation of serotonin (5-HT) determine the vulnerability of an individual to develop depression or other 5-HT-related disorders. The aim of the present experiment was to evaluate whether male and female Wistar rats differ in serotonergic vulnerability. Here, a stronger behavioral response to acute tryptophan (TRP) depletion was assumed to reflect serotonergic vulnerability. Twenty-four male and 48 female rats were repeatedly subjected to treatment with a gelatin-based protein-carbohydrate mixture, either with or without L-tryptophan. Female estrous cycle phase was determined by means of vaginal smears and the females were divided into two groups based on their estrous cycle phase: pro-estrus/estrus and met-estrus/di-estrus. Blood samples showed stronger TRP depletion in males than females. There was no effect of estrous cycle on plasma TRP concentrations. In contrast, treatment effects on some brain TRP concentrations were influenced by estrous cycle phase, females in pro-estrus/estrus showed the strongest response to TRP depletion. In the open field test and home cage emergence test, females in pro-estrus/estrus also showed the strongest behavioral response to acute TRP depletion. In general, females showed more activity than males in anxiety-related situations and this effect appeared to be enhanced by TRP depletion. In the social interaction test, passive body contact in males and females in pro-estrus/estrus was decreased after TRP depletion whereas it was increased in females in the met-estrus/di-estrus phase. Acute TRP depletion affected object recognition, but did not affect behavior in the forced swimming test and a reaction time task. It is concluded that sex and estrous cycle phase can influence the behavioral response to TRP depletion, and that females in pro-estrus/estrus show the strongest behavioral response to acute TRP depletion.
Authors:
L A W Jans; C K J Lieben; A Blokland
Related Documents :
14685014 - Gender-related differences in the pharmacodynamics of furosemide in rats.
8446694 - Effect of neonatal androgenization on the circadian rhythm of feeding behavior in rats.
10883804 - Relation of fos-ir expression in the pelvic ganglion to sexual behavior in laboratory r...
11991444 - Expression of steroid-converting enzymes in osteoblasts derived from rat vertebrae.
6939234 - The role of lactic acidosis in the ischemic nerve cell injury.
9169544 - Fetal transplants alter the development of function after spinal cord transection in ne...
Publication Detail:
Type:  Journal Article     Date:  2007-05-25
Journal Detail:
Title:  Neuroscience     Volume:  147     ISSN:  0306-4522     ISO Abbreviation:  Neuroscience     Publication Date:  2007 Jun 
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2007-06-19     Completed Date:  2007-09-18     Revised Date:  -    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  7605074     Medline TA:  Neuroscience     Country:  United States    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  304-17     Citation Subset:  IM    
Affiliation:
Department of Neurocognition, Faculty of Psychology, Maastricht University, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands. l.jans@psychology.unimaas.nl
Export Citation:
APA/MLA Format     Download EndNote     Download BibTex
MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Amino Acids / blood
Animals
Anxiety / psychology
Behavior, Animal / physiology*
Brain Chemistry / physiology
Depression / psychology
Estrous Cycle / physiology*
Female
Gelatin / pharmacology*
Interpersonal Relations
Male
Motor Activity / physiology
Rats
Rats, Wistar
Reaction Time / physiology
Recognition (Psychology) / physiology
Serotonin / physiology
Sex Characteristics
Swimming / psychology
Tryptophan / deficiency*,  physiology
Chemical
Reg. No./Substance:
0/Amino Acids; 50-67-9/Serotonin; 73-22-3/Tryptophan; 9000-70-8/Gelatin

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine


Previous Document:  The descriptive epidemiology of intentional burns in the United States: an analysis of the National ...
Next Document:  Decreased heat tolerance is associated with hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenocortical axis impairment.