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Maternal Deprivation Induces Depressive-like Behaviour and Alters Neurotrophin Levels in the Rat Brain

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Abstract

The present study was aimed to evaluate the behavioral and molecular effects of maternal deprivation in adult rats. To this aim, male rats deprived and non-deprived were assessed in the forced swimming and open-field tests in adult phase. In addition adrenocorticotrophin hormone (ACTH) levels was assessed in serum and brain-derived-neurotrophic factor (BDNF), neurotrophin-3 (NT-3) and nerve growth factor (NGF) protein levels were assessed in prefrontal cortex, hippocampus and amygdala. We observed that maternal deprivation increased immobility time, and decreased climbing time, without affecting locomotor activity. ACTH circulating levels were increased in maternal deprived rats. Additionally, BDNF protein levels were reduced in the amygdala and NT-3 and NGF were reduced in both hippocampus and amygdala in maternal deprived rats, compared to control group. In conclusion, our results support the idea that behavioral, ACTH circulating levels and neurotrophins levels altered in maternal deprivation model could contribute to stress-related diseases, such as depression.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported in part by grants from CNPq-Brazil (JQ and FK), FAPESC-Brazil (JQ), Instituto Cérebro e Mente-Brazil (JQ and FK) and UNESC-Brazil (JQ). JQ and FK are recipients of CNPq (Brazil) Productivity fellowships. GZR is holder of a FAPESC studentship.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratório de Neurociências and Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia Translacional em Medicina (INCT-TM), Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde, Unidade Acadêmica de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade do Extremo Sul Catarinense, Criciúma, SC, 88806-000, Brazil

    Gislaine Z. Réus, Roberto B. Stringari, Karine F. Ribeiro, Andreza L. Cipriano & João Quevedo

  2. Laboratório de Psiquiatria Molecular and Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia Translacional em Medicina (INCT-TM), Centro de Pesquisas, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, RS, 90035-003, Brazil

    Bruna S. Panizzutti, Laura Stertz, Camila Lersch & Flávio Kapczinski

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  1. Gislaine Z. Réus
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  2. Roberto B. Stringari
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  3. Karine F. Ribeiro
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  4. Andreza L. Cipriano
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  5. Bruna S. Panizzutti
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  6. Laura Stertz
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  7. Camila Lersch
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  8. Flávio Kapczinski
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  9. João Quevedo
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Correspondence to João Quevedo.

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Réus, G.Z., Stringari, R.B., Ribeiro, K.F. et al. Maternal Deprivation Induces Depressive-like Behaviour and Alters Neurotrophin Levels in the Rat Brain. Neurochem Res 36, 460–466 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11064-010-0364-3

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