Ontogeny of PFC-related behaviours is sensitive to a single non-invasive dose of methamphetamine in neonatal gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus).
A single dose of methamphetamine (50 mg/kg; i.p.) was administered to neonatal male gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus) aged 14 days, and adult prefrontal cortex (PFC)-related behaviours were analysed and compared with saline-treated controls at the age of postnatal day 90. For that purpose, animals were tested for open-field activities and y-maze delayed alternation. This solitary and non-invasive drug challenge, which has recently been found to initiate serious restraint in maturation of the mesoprefrontal dopamine (DA)-system (Dawirs et al., 1994), induces a significant delayed alternation impairment as well as significant increases in open-field motor activity and emotionality. Since an undisturbed development of the prefrontal DA-innervation seems to be a precondition for the maturation of normal PFC-related behaviours, a single early methamphetamine impact may be a suitable animal model for further investigation of structural and functional aspects of non-invasively induced behavioural deficits in rodents. The present results are discussed with regard to the assumption that hypofunctional mesoprefrontal DA-systems might be basic to schizophrenic behaviours in man.
Dawirs
R R
RR
Department of Neuroanatomy, Faculty of Biology, University of Bielefeld, Federal Republic of Germany.
Teuchert-Noodt
G
G
Czaniera
R
R
D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn / Q000502:physiology*; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology*; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003216:Conditioning, Operant / Q000187:drug effects; D004644:Emotions / Q000187:drug effects; D005849:Gerbillinae; D008297:Male; D008694:Methamphetamine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*
D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants; D008694:Methamphetamine