Sayin Aslıhan, Derinöz Okşan, Yüksel Nevzat, Şahin Selda, Bolay Hayrunnisa
Psychiatry Department of Gazi University Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
Pediatric Emergency Department of Gazi University Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 2014 Sep;124:180-7. doi: 10.1016/j.pbb.2014.06.002. Epub 2014 Jun 13.
In rats, hormonal fluctuations during the estrus cycle may have numerous behavioral and neurobiological consequences. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of estrus cycles and citalopram on behavior, ultrasonic vocalizations, anxiety levels, and c-fos expression in rats. With this aim, the rats were grouped into two: (1) a control group (n=16) and (2) a citalopram group (n=16), which received daily intraperitoneal 20mg/kg citalopram from baseline (D0) to the 10th day (D10). Behavioral analysis and ultrasonic vocalization (USV) recordings were made on D0 and D10. Next, the rats were further subgrouped according to estrus phases identified through a vaginal smear (8 proestrus rats and 8 non-proestrus rats, in each group). The rat's anxiety levels were analyzed with an elevated plus maze (EPM), and their c-fos expression was measured at the cingulate cortex, the amygdala, and the paraventricular thalamic nucleus. Our results showed that the citalopram group showed significantly more grooming behaviors on D10 than the control group (p=0.002). USVs on D0, D10 and during the EPM did not show any significant differences between the groups. Proestrus rats in the control group showed significantly less anxiety-like behavior during the EPM than the non-proestrus rats in the control group (p=0.028 for time spent in open arms, and p=0.011 for entries into open arms). There was no significant difference in anxiety-like behavior between the control and citalopram groups, and between the proestrus and non-estrous rats in the citalopram group. C-fos expression at the amygdala (p=0.013) and the paraventricular thalamic nucleus (p=0.014) was significantly inhibited in the citalopram group. We concluded that estrus cycles have a significant effect on anxiety levels in rats, which may be suppressed behaviorally and neurobiologically by citalopram.
在大鼠中，发情周期中的激素波动可能会产生许多行为和神经生物学后果。本研究的目的是调查发情周期和西酞普兰对大鼠行为、超声发声、焦虑水平以及c-fos表达的影响。为此，将大鼠分为两组：(1) 对照组（n = 16）和 (2) 西酞普兰组（n = 16），从基线（第0天，D0）至第10天（D10），西酞普兰组大鼠每天腹腔注射20mg/kg西酞普兰。在D0和D10进行行为分析和超声发声（USV）记录。接下来，根据通过阴道涂片确定的发情阶段，将大鼠进一步分为亚组（每组8只动情前期大鼠和l8只非动情前期大鼠）。用高架十字迷宫（EPM）分析大鼠的焦虑水平，并在扣带回皮质、杏仁核和室旁丘脑核测量其c-fos表达。我们的结果表明，西酞普兰组在D10时的梳理行为明显多于对照组（p = 0.002）。在D0、D10以及EPM期间，两组之间的USV没有显示出任何显著差异。对照组中的动情前期大鼠在EPM期间表现出的焦虑样行为明显少于对照组中的非动情前期大鼠（在开放臂停留时间的p = 0.028，进入开放臂次数的p = 0.011）。对照组和西酞普兰组之间，以及西酞普兰组中的动情前期和非动情期大鼠之间，焦虑样行为没有显著差异。西酞普兰组杏仁核（p = 0.013）和室旁丘脑核（p = 0.014）的c-fos表达受到显著抑制。我们得出结论，发情周期对大鼠的焦虑水平有显著影响，但西酞普兰可能会在行为和神经生物学上抑制这种影响。
