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http://hdl.handle.net/11375/26816
Title: | Effects of hypophysectomy on compulsive checking and cortical dendrites in an animal model of obsessive-compulsive disorder |
Authors: | Dvorkin A Culver KE Waxman D Szechtman H Kolb B |
Department: | Psychiatry & Behavioural Neurosciences |
Keywords: | Animals;Behavior, Animal;Cerebral Cortex;Compulsive Behavior;Dendrites;Disease Models, Animal;Hypophysectomy;Injections, Subcutaneous;Male;Motor Activity;Neuronal Plasticity;Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder;Pituitary Hormones;Quinpirole;Rats;Rats, Long-Evans;Receptors, Dopamine D2;Receptors, Dopamine D3 |
Publication Date: | Jul-2008 |
Publisher: | Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health) |
Abstract: | Hormones may modulate the symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), but the evidence is equivocal and not consistent across studies, with findings of hormone-associated increases and decreases of symptoms. To assess whether a strong endocrine influence on OCD exists, the effects of hypophysectomy were examined in an animal model of OCD. The model involves repeated injections of the dopamine D2/D3 receptor agonist, quinpirole, to induce locomotor sensitization and compulsive checking behavior. Intact and hypophysectomized rats were administered quinpirole (0.5 mg/kg x 6, twice weekly) or saline and compulsive checking in a large open field was measured according to a standard protocol. Results showed that in hypophysectomized animals, the development of locomotor sensitization was attenuated but the expression of quinpirole-induced compulsive checking was full-blown. Analysis of Golgi-stained neurons showed changes in spine density in Cg3 and Par1 and increased branching of apical dendrites in Cg3. It is suggested that compulsive checking could be coupled with drug-induced increases in Cg3 dendritic branching and that changes in spine density may reflect a compensatory adjustment in dopamine-innervated regions. On the basis of the animal model findings, it is concluded that the presence of OCD checking compulsions is not dependent on pituitary axis hormones. |
URI: | http://hdl.handle.net/11375/26816 |
metadata.dc.identifier.doi: | https://doi.org/10.1097/fbp.0b013e3283095223 |
ISSN: | 0955-8810 1473-5849 |
Appears in Collections: | Psychiatry & Behavioural Neurosciences Publications |
Files in This Item:
File | Description | Size | Format | |
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Dvorkin2008_BP-08-20R2 - Copy (1).pdf | Accepted version | 951.29 kB | Adobe PDF | View/Open |
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