Hyperresponsiveness to phencyclidine in animals lesioned in the amygdala on day 7 of life. Implications for an animal model of schizophrenia.
E W P M Daenen, G Wolterink, J M Van Ree
European neuropsychopharmacology : the journal of the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology August 1, 2003 DOI: 10.1016/s0924-977x(03)00029-4 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Controlled laboratory experiment Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Rats with ibotenic acid lesions in the amygdala on day 7 of life and sham-operated rats |
| Intervention | Phencyclidine (PCP) |
| Dose | graded doses |
| Key findings | Rats lesioned in the amygdala on day 7 of life were hyperresponsive to PCP compared to sham-operated animals. |
Abstract
Phencyclidine (PCP) has been described to exacerbate psychotic symptoms in patients suffering from schizophrenia. In rats, PCP, dose-dependently, induces hyperactivity, stereotyped behaviour and social isolation, postulated to represent the positive (hyperactivity, stereotypy) and negative (social isolation) symptoms of schizophrenia. Based on previous studies, ibotenic acid lesions in the amygdala on day 7 of life have been proposed as an animal model of psychiatric neurodevelopmental disorders like schizophrenia. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether the responsiveness to PCP on locomotor activity in animals lesioned in the amygdala on day 7 of life is different from the response to this drug in sham-operated animals. The effect of graded doses of PCP on behaviour was assessed in a small open field. Animals lesioned in the amygdala on day 7 of life appeared to be hyperresponsive to PCP compared to sham-operated animals. The hyperresponsiveness to PCP in rats lesioned in the amygdala on day 7 of life further contributes to the validation of this putative animal model of schizophrenia.