Gogos Andrea, Kusljic Snezana, Thwaites Shane J, van den Buuse Maarten
Hormones in Psychiatry Laboratory, The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Melbourne, Australia; Behavioural Neuroscience Laboratory, Mental Health Research Institute, Parkville, Australia.
Hormones in Psychiatry Laboratory, The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Melbourne, Australia; Behavioural Neuroscience Laboratory, Mental Health Research Institute, Parkville, Australia; Department of Nursing, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.
Behav Brain Res. 2017 Mar 30;322(Pt A):157-166. doi: 10.1016/j.bbr.2017.01.028. Epub 2017 Jan 19.
Animal model studies using equal numbers of males and females are sparse in psychiatry research. Given the marked sex differences observed in psychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia, using both males and females in research studies is an important requirement. Thus the aim of this study was to examine sex differences in psychotomimetic-induced behavioural deficits relevant to psychosis. We therefore compared the acute effect of amphetamine or phencyclidine on locomotor activity and prepulse inhibition in adult male and female Sprague-Dawley rats. The results of this study were that: (1) amphetamine-induced distance travelled was greater in female rats than in male rats, (2) phencyclidine-induced locomotor hyperactivity was similar in male and female rats; (3) there were no sex differences in amphetamine- or phencyclidine-induced disruption of prepulse inhibition; (4) male rats had an increased startle response after amphetamine. These findings suggest that sensitivity to amphetamine, but not phencyclidine, differs between male and female rats, and that this sex difference is selective to locomotor hyperactivity and startle, but not prepulse inhibition. This study used two widely-used, validated preclinical assays relevant to psychosis; the results of this study have implications for psychiatry research, particularly for disorders where marked sex differences in onset and symptomology are observed.
在精神病学研究中，使用数量相等的雄性和雌性动物的模型研究很少见。鉴于在诸如精神分裂症等精神疾病中观察到明显的性别差异，在研究中同时使用雄性和雌性动物是一项重要要求。因此，本研究的目的是检查与精神病相关的拟精神病药物诱导的行为缺陷中的性别差异。因此，我们比较了苯丙胺或苯环利定对成年雄性和雌性Sprague-Dawley大鼠运动活动和前脉冲抑制的急性影响。本研究的结果如下：（1）苯丙胺诱导的雌性大鼠行进距离大于雄性大鼠；（2）苯环利定诱导的雄性和雌性大鼠运动活动亢进相似；（3）苯丙胺或苯环利定诱导的前脉冲抑制破坏没有性别差异；（4）苯丙胺给药后雄性大鼠的惊吓反应增加。这些发现表明，雄性和雌性大鼠对苯丙胺而非苯环利定的敏感性不同，并且这种性别差异对运动活动亢进和惊吓具有选择性，而对前脉冲抑制没有选择性。本研究使用了两种广泛使用且经过验证的与精神病相关的临床前检测方法；本研究结果对精神病学研究具有启示意义，特别是对于在发病和症状学上观察到明显性别差异的疾病。
