Effects Of Forced Nicotine on Oxytocin and Vasopressin Levels in Striatum and Hippocampus in Nicotine Preferring Rat Lines
Project no. 22397 · Status: Kapanmış (Yayın bekleniyor) · 2020
Summary
<p>Aim: Nicotine-preferring (NP) line is developed by selective breeding at Ege University Center for Research on Laboratory Animals. This study aimed to determine the differences in hippocampal and striatal oxytocin and arginine-vasopressin (AVP) levels in NP (male/female) and control (male/female) animals during chronic oral nicotine exposure.</p><p>Methods: This study is a continuation project of previous project (TDK-2020-21454). Same animals were used in both projects; there were 4 groups (n=10/group): Control Male (CM), Control Female (CF), NP Male (NPM), NP Female (NPF). All groups received forced nicotine administration in drinking water for 4 weeks. In the previous project, we analyzed differences in empathy-like behavior of NP and control groups during baseline and chronic nicotine exposure. In this project, animals were decapitated following behavioral testing; striatum and hippocampus were dissected and stored at -80°C. Oxytocin and AVP levels in samples were measured by ELISA. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS.</p><p>Results: One-way ANOVA showed significant differences between the groups (p<0.001). Tukey test revealed that hippocampal oxytocin levels were higher in NPM compared to CM (p=0.002), in NPF compared to CF (p=0.048), in NPE compared to NPF (p=0.029), and in NPM compared to CF (p<0.001).</p><p>One-way ANOVA showed that striatal oxytocin levels in NP were lower than controls (p=0.027). Tukey test demonstrated that striatal oxytocin levels in NPF were lower than CM (p=0.021).</p><p>One-way ANOVA showed that hippocampal AVP levels were higher than controls (p=0.005). Tukey test revealed that hippocampal AVP levels in NPM were higher than CF (p=0.019). Striatal AVP levels were not different between groups.</p><p>Conclusions: Alterations in brain oxytocin and AVP levels of NP animals may underlie the changes observed in empathy-like and social behavior of these animals. These differences may contribute to the susceptibility of NP rats to nicotine addiction.</p>