Research article summary (published 9 Oct 2007):

The reward system and maternal behavior in an animal model of depression: a microdialysis study.

Full Abstract

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: Flinders sensitive line (FSL) rats, an animal model of depression, display a different pattern of maternal behavior compared to Sprague-Dawley (SD) controls. In this study, we examined the rewarding value of mother-infant interaction for FSL dams. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In the main study, we measured monoamine levels in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) of early postpartum FSL and SD dams during an interaction with pups, using the microdialysis technique. In addition, we compared the preference patterns of FSL and SD rats using the conditioned place preference paradigm, with pups as the unconditioned stimuli. RESULTS: Dopamine (DA) levels in dialysates from the NAc of SD dams but not FSL dams were elevated while interacting with pups but the metabolism of DA to dihydroxyphenylacetic acid was greater in FSL than in SD dams. While SD dams showed a conditioned preference for a region that was associated with SD pups, FSL dams did not show a preference for regions associated either with SD or FSL pups, but water deprived FSL rats demonstrated a preference to a region associated with water, eliminating an alternative explanation of learning deficit in FSL rats. CONCLUSIONS: Taken together, these results suggest that FSL dams are less rewarded by pups, compared to control dams.

Author information

Author/s: Lavi-Avnon, Yael (Y); Weller, Aron (A); Finberg, John P M (JP); Gispan-Herman, Iris (I); Kinor, Noa (N); Stern, Yaakov (Y); Schroeder, Mariana (M); Gelber, Vered (V); Bergman, S Yoav (SY); Overstreet, David H (DH); Yadid, Gal (G);

Affiliation: Department of Psychology, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel.

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Journal: Psychopharmacology (Psychopharmacology (Berl)), published in Germany. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2008-Feb; vol 196 (issue 2) : pp 281-91

Dates: Created 2008/01/22; Completed 2008/05/19;

PMID: 17928996, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 2/18/2009, IMS Date: )

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

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MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

3,4-Dihydroxyphenylacetic Acid - analysis; metabolism Age Factors Animals Animals, Newborn Behavior, Animal - physiology Body Weight Depressive Disorder - physiopathology; psychology Dialysis Solutions - analysis; chemistry Disease Models, Animal Dopamine - analysis; metabolism Female

Homovanillic Acid - analysis; metabolism Hydroxyindoleacetic Acid - analysis; metabolism Male Maternal Behavior - physiology; psychology Microdialysis - methods Nucleus Accumbens - metabolism Rats Rats, Inbred Strains Rats, Sprague-Dawley Reward Serotonin - analysis; metabolism

Associated Chemicals: Dialysis Solutions (0) ; 3,4-Dihydroxyphenylacetic Acid (102-32-9) ; Homovanillic Acid (306-08-1) ; Serotonin (50-67-9) ; Dopamine (51-61-6) ; Hydroxyindoleacetic Acid (54-16-0)

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