Effect of postnatal intermittent hypoxia on locomotor activity and neuronal development in rats tested in early adulthood

Author(s)

Karen Y. Yamada ^[1] ; Susan Y. Satake ^[2] ; Juliana C. Perry ^[3] ; Karina O. Garcia ^[4] ; Vânia D'Almeida ^[5] ; Sergio Tufik ^[6] ; Beatriz M. Longo ^[7] ; Regina C. Barbosa-Silva ^[8]

Affiliation

^[1] Universidade Federal de São Paulo - Brasil

^[2] Universidade Federal de São Paulo - Brasil

^[3] Universidade Federal de São Paulo - Brasil

^[4] Universidade Federal de São Paulo - Brasil

^[5] Universidade Federal de São Paulo - Brasil

^[6] Universidade Federal de São Paulo - Brasil

^[7] Universidade Federal de São Paulo - Brasil

^[8] Universidade Federal de São Paulo - Brasil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: Psychology & Neuroscience; v. 7, n. 2, p. 125-130, 2014-05-27.

Abstract

The present study evaluated the effects of postnatal intermittent hypoxia on locomotor activity and neuronal cell survival in early adulthood rats. During a critical period of brain development on postnatal day (PD) 7-11, male rat pups were exposed to intermittent hypoxia and randomly assigned to three experimental groups: (1) intermittent hypoxia, (2) normoxia, and (3) control (unhandled). One and a half months later on PD56, a behavioral test was conducted, and cell survival was estimated in the hilus, dental gyrus, and CA1 and CA3 subfields of the hippocampus, nucleus accumbens shell and core, dorsal and ventral striatum, and prefrontal cortex. Our results showed that intermittent hypoxia produced hyperactivity that correlated well with psychomotor agitation observed in patients with schizophrenia. Moreover, post-hypoxic rats exhibited a reduction of the number of neurons in the hilar region of the hippocampus and dorsal striatum, structures that have been neuropathologically associated with schizophrenia.These findings suggest that intermittent hypoxia can modify the pattern of locomotor activity and selectively affect neurons in rats tested in early adulthood. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 09/03616-7 - Perspectives of the use of bone marrow mesenquimal stem cells overexpressing VEGF in a double transgenic model of Alzheimer´s disease
• Grantee: Karina de Oliveira Garcia
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• FAPESP's process: 10/00120-8 - Effect of neural precursor cell transplantation on anxiety and epileptic seizures
• Grantee: Beatriz de Oliveira Monteiro
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• FAPESP's process: 98/14303-3 - Center for Sleep Studies
• Grantee: Sergio Tufik
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Research, Innovation and Dissemination Centers - RIDC
• FAPESP's process: 09/07278-9 - Effects of apomorphine and haloperidol microinjection in the inferior colliculus on prepulse inhibition of acoustic startle reflex in rat
• Grantee: Karen Yukie Yamada
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• FAPESP's process: 09/07347-0 - Effect of apomorphine and haloperidol microinjection in the inferior colliculus on pre-pulse inhibition of acoustic startle reflex in rat
• Grantee: Susan Yuri Satake
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation