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Characterization of behavioral, signaling and cytokine alterations in a rat neurodevelopmental model for schizophrenia, and their reversal by the 5-HT6 receptor antagonist SB-399885

Shortall, Sinead E.; Negm, Ola H.; Fowler, Maxine; Fairclough, Lucy C.; Tighe, Patrick J.; Wigmore, Peter M.; King, Madeleine

Characterization of behavioral, signaling and cytokine alterations in a rat neurodevelopmental model for schizophrenia, and their reversal by the 5-HT6 receptor antagonist SB-399885 Thumbnail


Authors

Sinead E. Shortall

OLA NEGM ola.negm@nottingham.ac.uk
Assistant Professor

Maxine Fowler

PATRICK TIGHE paddy.tighe@nottingham.ac.uk
Professor of Molecular Immunology

Peter M. Wigmore



Abstract

Post-weaning social isolation of rats produces neuroanatomical, neurochemical and behavioral alterations resembling some core features of schizophrenia. This study examined the ability of the 5-HT? receptor antagonist SB-399885 to reverse isolation-induced cognitive deficits, then investigated alterations in hippocampal cell proliferation and hippocampal and frontal cortical expression of selected intracellular signaling molecules and cytokines. Male Lister-hooded rats (weaned on post-natal day 21-24 and housed individually or in groups of 3-4) received six i.p. injections of vehicle (1% Tween 80, 1 mL/kg) or SB-399885 (5 or 10 mg/kg) over a two week period starting 40 days post-weaning, on the days that locomotor activity, novel object discrimination (NOD), pre-pulse inhibition of acoustic startle and acquisition, retention and extinction of a conditioned freezing response (CFR) were assessed. Tissue was collected 24 h after the final injection for immunohistochemistry, reverse-phase protein microarray and western blotting. Isolation rearing impaired NOD and cue-mediated CFR, decreased cell proliferation within the dentate gyrus, and elevated hippocampal TNF? levels and Cdc42 expression. SB-399885 reversed the NOD deficit and partially normalized CFR and cell proliferation. These effects were accompanied by altered expression of several members of the c-Jun N-terminal Kinase (JNK) and p38 MAPK signaling pathways (including TAK1, MKK4 and STAT3). Although JNK and p38 themselves were unaltered at this time point hippocampal TAK1 expression and phosphorylation correlated with visual recognition memory in the NOD task. Continued use of this neurodevelopmental model could further elucidate the neurobiology of schizophrenia and aid assessment of novel therapies for drug-resistant cognitive symptoms.

Journal Article Type Article
Acceptance Date Jan 26, 2018
Online Publication Date Feb 8, 2018
Publication Date Sep 1, 2018
Deposit Date Jan 18, 2019
Publicly Available Date Jan 18, 2019
Journal Molecular Neurobiology
Print ISSN 0893-7648
Electronic ISSN 1559-1182
Publisher Springer Verlag
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 55
Issue 9
DOI https://doi.org/10.1007/s12035-018-0940-0
Keywords 5-HT? receptor, social isolation, schizophrenia, cytokines, hippocampus, JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases
Public URL https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1127154
Publisher URL https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs12035-018-0940-0