Increased dopaminergic activity in socially isolated rats: an electrophysiological study

Katrine Fabricius; Lone Helboe; Anders Fink-Jensen; Gitta Wörtwein; Björn Steiniger-Brach; Florence Sotty; Katrine Fabricius; Lone Helboe; Anders Fink-Jensen; Gitta Wörtwein; Björn Steiniger-Brach; Florence Sotty

doi:10.1016/j.neulet.2010.07.014

Increased dopaminergic activity in socially isolated rats: an electrophysiological study

Katrine Fabricius, Lone Helboe, Anders Fink-Jensen, Gitta Wörtwein, Björn Steiniger-Brach, Florence Sotty, Katrine Fabricius, Lone Helboe, Anders Fink-Jensen, Gitta Wörtwein, Björn Steiniger-Brach, Florence Sotty

Eyepath Lab

39 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The development of animal models mimicking symptoms associated with schizophrenia has been a critical step in understanding the neurobiological mechanisms underlying the disease. Long-term social isolation from weaning in rodents, a model based on the neurodevelopmental hypothesis of schizophrenia, has been suggested to mimic some of the deficits seen in schizophrenic patients. We confirm in the present study that socially isolated rats display an increase in both spontaneous and d-amphetamine-induced locomotor activity, as well as deficits in sensorimotor gating as assessed in a pre-pulse inhibition paradigm. In addition, in vivo electrophysiological studies revealed changes in dopaminergic cell firing activity in the ventral tegmental area of isolated rats when compared to group-housed controls. These alterations include an increase in the number of spontaneously active dopaminergic neurons, and a change of firing activity towards a more irregular and bursting firing pattern. Taken together, our findings suggest that the behavioral phenotype induced by social isolation may be driven by an overactive dopamine system.

Original language	English
Journal	Neuroscience Letters
Volume	482
Issue number	2
Pages (from-to)	117-22
Number of pages	6
ISSN	0304-3940
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neulet.2010.07.014
Publication status	Published - 27 Sept 2010

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10.1016/j.neulet.2010.07.014

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title = "Increased dopaminergic activity in socially isolated rats: an electrophysiological study",

abstract = "The development of animal models mimicking symptoms associated with schizophrenia has been a critical step in understanding the neurobiological mechanisms underlying the disease. Long-term social isolation from weaning in rodents, a model based on the neurodevelopmental hypothesis of schizophrenia, has been suggested to mimic some of the deficits seen in schizophrenic patients. We confirm in the present study that socially isolated rats display an increase in both spontaneous and d-amphetamine-induced locomotor activity, as well as deficits in sensorimotor gating as assessed in a pre-pulse inhibition paradigm. In addition, in vivo electrophysiological studies revealed changes in dopaminergic cell firing activity in the ventral tegmental area of isolated rats when compared to group-housed controls. These alterations include an increase in the number of spontaneously active dopaminergic neurons, and a change of firing activity towards a more irregular and bursting firing pattern. Taken together, our findings suggest that the behavioral phenotype induced by social isolation may be driven by an overactive dopamine system.",

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doi = "10.1016/j.neulet.2010.07.014",

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T1 - Increased dopaminergic activity in socially isolated rats: an electrophysiological study

AU - Fabricius, Katrine

AU - Helboe, Lone

AU - Fink-Jensen, Anders

AU - Wörtwein, Gitta

AU - Steiniger-Brach, Björn

AU - Sotty, Florence

AU - Fabricius, Katrine

AU - Helboe, Lone

AU - Fink-Jensen, Anders

AU - Wörtwein, Gitta

AU - Steiniger-Brach, Björn

AU - Sotty, Florence

PY - 2010/9/27

Y1 - 2010/9/27

N2 - The development of animal models mimicking symptoms associated with schizophrenia has been a critical step in understanding the neurobiological mechanisms underlying the disease. Long-term social isolation from weaning in rodents, a model based on the neurodevelopmental hypothesis of schizophrenia, has been suggested to mimic some of the deficits seen in schizophrenic patients. We confirm in the present study that socially isolated rats display an increase in both spontaneous and d-amphetamine-induced locomotor activity, as well as deficits in sensorimotor gating as assessed in a pre-pulse inhibition paradigm. In addition, in vivo electrophysiological studies revealed changes in dopaminergic cell firing activity in the ventral tegmental area of isolated rats when compared to group-housed controls. These alterations include an increase in the number of spontaneously active dopaminergic neurons, and a change of firing activity towards a more irregular and bursting firing pattern. Taken together, our findings suggest that the behavioral phenotype induced by social isolation may be driven by an overactive dopamine system.

AB - The development of animal models mimicking symptoms associated with schizophrenia has been a critical step in understanding the neurobiological mechanisms underlying the disease. Long-term social isolation from weaning in rodents, a model based on the neurodevelopmental hypothesis of schizophrenia, has been suggested to mimic some of the deficits seen in schizophrenic patients. We confirm in the present study that socially isolated rats display an increase in both spontaneous and d-amphetamine-induced locomotor activity, as well as deficits in sensorimotor gating as assessed in a pre-pulse inhibition paradigm. In addition, in vivo electrophysiological studies revealed changes in dopaminergic cell firing activity in the ventral tegmental area of isolated rats when compared to group-housed controls. These alterations include an increase in the number of spontaneously active dopaminergic neurons, and a change of firing activity towards a more irregular and bursting firing pattern. Taken together, our findings suggest that the behavioral phenotype induced by social isolation may be driven by an overactive dopamine system.

U2 - 10.1016/j.neulet.2010.07.014

DO - 10.1016/j.neulet.2010.07.014

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 20637831

SN - 0304-3940

VL - 482

SP - 117

EP - 122

JO - Neuroscience Letters

JF - Neuroscience Letters

IS - 2

ER -

Increased dopaminergic activity in socially isolated rats: an electrophysiological study

Abstract

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