TY - JOUR

T1 - Stereological brain volume changes in post-weaned socially isolated rats

AU - Fabricius, Katrine

AU - Helboe, Lone

AU - Steiniger-Brach, Björn

AU - Fink-Jensen, Anders

AU - Pakkenberg, Bente

N1 - Copyright 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

PY - 2010/7/23

Y1 - 2010/7/23

N2 - Rearing rats in isolation after weaning is an environmental manipulation that leads to behavioural and neurochemical alterations that resemble what is seen in schizophrenia. The model is neurodevelopmental in origin and has been used as an animal model of schizophrenia. However, only a few studies have evaluated the neuroanatomical changes in this animal model in comparison to changes seen in schizophrenia. In this study, we applied stereological volume estimates to evaluate the total brain, the ventricular system, and the pyramidal and granular cell layers of the hippocampus in male and female Lister Hooded rats isolated from postnatal day 25 for 15 weeks. We observed the expected gender differences in total brain volume with males having larger brains than females. Further, we found that isolated males had significantly smaller brains than group-housed controls and larger lateral ventricles than controls. However, this was not seen in female rats. Isolated males had a significant smaller hippocampus, dentate gyrus and CA2/3 where isolated females had a significant smaller CA1 compared to controls. Thus, our results indicate that long-term isolation of male rats leads to neuroanatomical changes corresponding to those seen in schizophrenia.

AB - Rearing rats in isolation after weaning is an environmental manipulation that leads to behavioural and neurochemical alterations that resemble what is seen in schizophrenia. The model is neurodevelopmental in origin and has been used as an animal model of schizophrenia. However, only a few studies have evaluated the neuroanatomical changes in this animal model in comparison to changes seen in schizophrenia. In this study, we applied stereological volume estimates to evaluate the total brain, the ventricular system, and the pyramidal and granular cell layers of the hippocampus in male and female Lister Hooded rats isolated from postnatal day 25 for 15 weeks. We observed the expected gender differences in total brain volume with males having larger brains than females. Further, we found that isolated males had significantly smaller brains than group-housed controls and larger lateral ventricles than controls. However, this was not seen in female rats. Isolated males had a significant smaller hippocampus, dentate gyrus and CA2/3 where isolated females had a significant smaller CA1 compared to controls. Thus, our results indicate that long-term isolation of male rats leads to neuroanatomical changes corresponding to those seen in schizophrenia.

U2 - http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.brainres.2010.05.040

DO - http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.brainres.2010.05.040

M3 - Journal article

VL - 1345

SP - 233

EP - 239

JO - Brain Research

JF - Brain Research

SN - 0006-8993

ER -