Aggressive behavior and HPA axis hormones after social isolation in adult rats of two different genetic animal models for depression

O. Malkesman; R. Maayan; A. Weizman; A. Weller

doi:10.1016/j.bbr.2006.09.017

Aggressive behavior and HPA axis hormones after social isolation in adult rats of two different genetic animal models for depression

O. Malkesman, R. Maayan, A. Weizman, A. Weller

Department of Psychology

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

94 Scopus citations

Abstract

In the current study we explored behavioral and endocrinological effects of exposure to social isolation during adulthood in two different genetic animal models of depression, the Flinders Sensitive Line (FSL), and their controls, Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats and the Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) strain and their controls, Wistar rats. Behavioral patterns of the different strains in coping with an intruder were studied in the "aggression" or resident-intruder test. We also measured basal plasma levels of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis hormones corticosterone and ACTH and their levels after chronic stress (isolation). Significant alterations in the levels of HPA hormones after social isolation were noted in the "depressed-like" strains. There were no significant behavioral differences between FSL and SD rats in the "aggression" test. In contrast, WKY rats exhibited less frequent aggressive-like and social behavior compared to Wistar controls. The results suggest that the FSL and WKY strains, both genetic animal models of depression, exhibit separate patterns of HPA axis modulation and aggressive-like behavior after social isolation. These different patterns may reflect two different types of depression. An "avoidant" or socially inhibited type of depressive-like behavior is seen most clearly in the WKY strain.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	408-414
Number of pages	7
Journal	Behavioural Brain Research
Volume	175
Issue number	2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbr.2006.09.017
State	Published - 15 Dec 2006

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
The authors thank Smadar Nachliel, Dan Ramon and Hodaya Dehan for their help in performing the aggression-test experiment, David Overstreet for supplying the FSL rats, and Yoram Braw for his helpful advice. The research reported in this paper was completed as part of the first author's Ph.D. dissertation, in the Interdisciplinary Program in Brain Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel. OM was supported by a President's Fellowship, Bar-Ilan University. The studies reported in this paper were supported by a grant (to A. Weller) from the Israel Science Foundation. Research in the Developmental Psychobiology laboratory is also partially supported by the Paula Rich Center, Bar-Ilan University.

Funding

The authors thank Smadar Nachliel, Dan Ramon and Hodaya Dehan for their help in performing the aggression-test experiment, David Overstreet for supplying the FSL rats, and Yoram Braw for his helpful advice. The research reported in this paper was completed as part of the first author's Ph.D. dissertation, in the Interdisciplinary Program in Brain Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel. OM was supported by a President's Fellowship, Bar-Ilan University. The studies reported in this paper were supported by a grant (to A. Weller) from the Israel Science Foundation. Research in the Developmental Psychobiology laboratory is also partially supported by the Paula Rich Center, Bar-Ilan University.

Funders	Funder number
Paula Rich Center
Bar-Ilan University
Israel Science Foundation

Keywords

Aggression
Depression
FSL
HPA
WKY

Access to Document

10.1016/j.bbr.2006.09.017

Cite this

@article{6f389b5b76ca4580ab2ca575e0f951de,

title = "Aggressive behavior and HPA axis hormones after social isolation in adult rats of two different genetic animal models for depression",

abstract = "In the current study we explored behavioral and endocrinological effects of exposure to social isolation during adulthood in two different genetic animal models of depression, the Flinders Sensitive Line (FSL), and their controls, Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats and the Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) strain and their controls, Wistar rats. Behavioral patterns of the different strains in coping with an intruder were studied in the {"}aggression{"} or resident-intruder test. We also measured basal plasma levels of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis hormones corticosterone and ACTH and their levels after chronic stress (isolation). Significant alterations in the levels of HPA hormones after social isolation were noted in the {"}depressed-like{"} strains. There were no significant behavioral differences between FSL and SD rats in the {"}aggression{"} test. In contrast, WKY rats exhibited less frequent aggressive-like and social behavior compared to Wistar controls. The results suggest that the FSL and WKY strains, both genetic animal models of depression, exhibit separate patterns of HPA axis modulation and aggressive-like behavior after social isolation. These different patterns may reflect two different types of depression. An {"}avoidant{"} or socially inhibited type of depressive-like behavior is seen most clearly in the WKY strain.",

keywords = "Aggression, Depression, FSL, HPA, WKY",

author = "O. Malkesman and R. Maayan and A. Weizman and A. Weller",

note = "Funding Information: The authors thank Smadar Nachliel, Dan Ramon and Hodaya Dehan for their help in performing the aggression-test experiment, David Overstreet for supplying the FSL rats, and Yoram Braw for his helpful advice. The research reported in this paper was completed as part of the first author's Ph.D. dissertation, in the Interdisciplinary Program in Brain Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel. OM was supported by a President's Fellowship, Bar-Ilan University. The studies reported in this paper were supported by a grant (to A. Weller) from the Israel Science Foundation. Research in the Developmental Psychobiology laboratory is also partially supported by the Paula Rich Center, Bar-Ilan University.",

year = "2006",

month = dec,

day = "15",

doi = "10.1016/j.bbr.2006.09.017",

language = "אנגלית",

volume = "175",

pages = "408--414",

journal = "Behavioural Brain Research",

issn = "0166-4328",

publisher = "Elsevier B.V.",

number = "2",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Aggressive behavior and HPA axis hormones after social isolation in adult rats of two different genetic animal models for depression

AU - Malkesman, O.

AU - Maayan, R.

AU - Weizman, A.

AU - Weller, A.

N1 - Funding Information: The authors thank Smadar Nachliel, Dan Ramon and Hodaya Dehan for their help in performing the aggression-test experiment, David Overstreet for supplying the FSL rats, and Yoram Braw for his helpful advice. The research reported in this paper was completed as part of the first author's Ph.D. dissertation, in the Interdisciplinary Program in Brain Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel. OM was supported by a President's Fellowship, Bar-Ilan University. The studies reported in this paper were supported by a grant (to A. Weller) from the Israel Science Foundation. Research in the Developmental Psychobiology laboratory is also partially supported by the Paula Rich Center, Bar-Ilan University.

PY - 2006/12/15

Y1 - 2006/12/15

N2 - In the current study we explored behavioral and endocrinological effects of exposure to social isolation during adulthood in two different genetic animal models of depression, the Flinders Sensitive Line (FSL), and their controls, Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats and the Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) strain and their controls, Wistar rats. Behavioral patterns of the different strains in coping with an intruder were studied in the "aggression" or resident-intruder test. We also measured basal plasma levels of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis hormones corticosterone and ACTH and their levels after chronic stress (isolation). Significant alterations in the levels of HPA hormones after social isolation were noted in the "depressed-like" strains. There were no significant behavioral differences between FSL and SD rats in the "aggression" test. In contrast, WKY rats exhibited less frequent aggressive-like and social behavior compared to Wistar controls. The results suggest that the FSL and WKY strains, both genetic animal models of depression, exhibit separate patterns of HPA axis modulation and aggressive-like behavior after social isolation. These different patterns may reflect two different types of depression. An "avoidant" or socially inhibited type of depressive-like behavior is seen most clearly in the WKY strain.

AB - In the current study we explored behavioral and endocrinological effects of exposure to social isolation during adulthood in two different genetic animal models of depression, the Flinders Sensitive Line (FSL), and their controls, Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats and the Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) strain and their controls, Wistar rats. Behavioral patterns of the different strains in coping with an intruder were studied in the "aggression" or resident-intruder test. We also measured basal plasma levels of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis hormones corticosterone and ACTH and their levels after chronic stress (isolation). Significant alterations in the levels of HPA hormones after social isolation were noted in the "depressed-like" strains. There were no significant behavioral differences between FSL and SD rats in the "aggression" test. In contrast, WKY rats exhibited less frequent aggressive-like and social behavior compared to Wistar controls. The results suggest that the FSL and WKY strains, both genetic animal models of depression, exhibit separate patterns of HPA axis modulation and aggressive-like behavior after social isolation. These different patterns may reflect two different types of depression. An "avoidant" or socially inhibited type of depressive-like behavior is seen most clearly in the WKY strain.

KW - Aggression

KW - Depression

KW - FSL

KW - HPA

KW - WKY

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=33751013324&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.bbr.2006.09.017

DO - 10.1016/j.bbr.2006.09.017

M3 - ???researchoutput.researchoutputtypes.contributiontojournal.article???

C2 - 17069898

AN - SCOPUS:33751013324

SN - 0166-4328

VL - 175

SP - 408

EP - 414

JO - Behavioural Brain Research

JF - Behavioural Brain Research

IS - 2

ER -

Aggressive behavior and HPA axis hormones after social isolation in adult rats of two different genetic animal models for depression

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Funding

Keywords

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this