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Role of 5-HT receptor mechanisms in sub-chronic PCP-induced reversal learning deficits in the rat

Yes / Rationale: 5-HT receptor mechanisms have been suggested to mediate improvements in cognition in schizophrenia. Aim: To investigate the involvement of 5-HT receptor mechanisms in sub-chronic PCP-induced reversal learning deficits in female rats, a task of relevance to schizophrenia. Methods: Adult female hooded-Lister rats were trained to perform an operant reversal learning task and then received sub-chronic PCP (2 mg/kg) or vehicle i.p. twice daily for seven days, followed by 7-days washout. Rats then received an acute dose of the 5-HT7 receptor antagonist SB-269970A (1.0, 3.0, 10.0 mg/kg; i.p.) or vehicle. In experiment 2, PCP-treated rats received the selective 5-HT2C receptor antagonist, SB-243213A acutely (1.0, 3.0, 10.0 mg/kg; i.p.) or vehicle. In experiment 3, PCP-treated rats received the 5-HT1A receptor partial agonist, buspirone (0.15625, 0.3125, 0.625 mg/kg, i.p.) in combination with the selective 5-HT1A receptor antagonist WAY-100635 (0.3, 1.0 mg/kg). Results: In all experiments sub-chronic PCP significantly impaired reversal phase performance (P<0.01-0.001), with no effect in the initial phase. SB-269970A at 3.0 and 10.0 mg/kg significantly improved the PCP-induced deficit (P<0.05). SB-243213A also significantly attenuated the deficit at 10 mg/kg (P<0.05). In experiment 3, buspirone attenuated the deficit with significant effects at 0.3125 mg/kg and 0.625 mg/kg (P<0.05). WAY-100635 at 0.3 and 1.0 mg/kg produced a partial attenuation of buspirone’s effect as buspirone (0.3125 mg/kg) in the presence of WAY-100635 did not significantly reverse the PCP-induced deficit. Conclusions: These studies implicate the role of 5-HT7, 5-HT2C and 5-HT1A receptors in the improvement of cognitive dysfunction of relevance to schizophrenia.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:BRADFORD/oai:bradscholars.brad.ac.uk:10454/8466
Date21 July 2009
CreatorsMcLean, Samantha L., Woolley, M.L., Thomas, D., Neill, Joanna C.
Source SetsBradford Scholars
LanguageEnglish
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeArticle, Accepted Manuscript
RightsThe final publication is available at Springer via http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00213-009-1618-0

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