Stressor-induced alterations in serotonergic activity in an animal model of depression

Authors

Thomas J. Connor, National University of Ireland
Cai Song, Carleton University
Brian E. Leonard, National University of Ireland
Hymie Anisman, Carleton University
Zul Merali, Aga Khan UniversityFollow

Document Type

Article

Department

Brain and Mind Institute

Abstract

The present study examined the effect of two neurogenic stressors (air puff and restraint) and a metabolic stressor (lipopolysaccharide; LPS 100 microg/kg, i.p.) on accumbal serotonergic neurotransmission in the olfactory bulbectomized (OB) rat model of depression. Both air puff and restraint stress caused greater increases in accumbal 5-HIAA in OB than in sham-operated rats. In contrast, bulbectomy resulted in a blunted serotonergic response to a challenge with LPS (a metabolic stressor). In addition, OB rats displayed significantly lower basal levels of 5-HIAA than sham-operated counterparts, a finding consistent with previous reports of the OB rat being a model of hyposerotonergic depression. The relevance of these findings to stressor-provoked depressive-like behaviors in the OB rat are discussed.

Comments

This work was published before the author joined Aga Khan University.

Publication (Name of Journal)

Neuroreport

Recommended Citation

Connor, T. J., Song, C., Leonard, B. E., Anisman, H., Merali, Z. (1999). Stressor-induced alterations in serotonergic activity in an animal model of depression. Neuroreport, 10(3), 523-528.
Available at: https://ecommons.aku.edu/bmi/194