Neonatal Quinpirole Treatment Impairs Morris Water Task Performance in Early Postweanling Rats: Relationship to Increases in Corticosterone and Decreases in Neurotrophic Factors

Creator(s)

Russell W. Brown, East Tennessee State UniversityFollow
Timothy J. Flanigan, East Tennessee State University
Kimberly N. Thompson, East Tennessee State University
Stephanie K. Thacker, East Tennessee State University
Tori L. Schaefer, University of Cincinnati
Michael T. Williams, University of Cincinnati

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

8-1-2004

Description

Background

Past studies from this laboratory have shown that quinpirole administration from postnatal day (P) 1–21 produces persistent supersensitization of the dopamine D₂ receptor that persists throughout the animal's lifetime.

Methods

In Experiment 1, both male and female rats were treated with quinpirole or saline from P1–21 and tested on the place and match-to-place versions of the Morris water task (MWT) from P22–28. In Experiment 2, both male and female rats were administered either acute or chronic injections of quinpirole (1 mg/kg) or saline beginning on P1 until analysis for corticosterone (CORT) on P7, 14, or 21.

Results

Neonatal quinpirole treatment produced deficits on both versions of the MWT compared with saline control. One day after behavioral testing, brain tissue was harvested, and the hippocampus was analyzed for nerve growth factor (NGF) and brain-derived nerve growth factor (BDNF); NGF was found to be significantly decreased by neonatal quinpirole treatment. Acute or chronic quinpirole treatment on P14 produced a larger increase in CORT than controls and produced larger increases in CORT than control rats on P21.

Conclusions

These results demonstrate that neonatal quinpirole treatment produces cognitive deficits that could be related to decreases in hippocampal NGF and increases in CORT, resulting in abnormalities in hippocampal development.

Citation Information

Brown, Russell W.; Flanigan, Timothy J.; Thompson, Kimberly N.; Thacker, Stephanie K.; Schaefer, Tori L.; and Williams, Michael T.. 2004. Neonatal Quinpirole Treatment Impairs Morris Water Task Performance in Early Postweanling Rats: Relationship to Increases in Corticosterone and Decreases in Neurotrophic Factors. Biological Psychiatry. Vol.56(3). 161-168. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsych.2004.05.003 ISSN: 0006-3223