title: Monoaminergic dysregulation on diestrus-2 and estrus through high emotional reactivity.
abstract: Rats with great differences in emotional reactivity, during weighing and handling for vaginal smear screening were examined on diestrus-2 (DE-2), proestrus (PE), and estrus (E). Rats with high emotional reactivity (HR), interpreted as trait anxiety, had different serotonergic and dopaminergic profile in hypothalamus-preoptic area (HY-PA) and striatum (Str) and thymus weight lower than that found in rats with low emotional reactivity (LR). In HY-PA of rats with HR when compared to rats with LR, increased 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA), 5-HIAA/serotonin (5-HT) ratio, and 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) and in Str increased DOPAC and DOPAC/dopamine (DA) ratio were found only on DE-2, paralleled by increased adrenal weight and decreased thymus weight. In Str, a significant effect of HR on 5-HIAA was found only on E, in parallel with increased 5-HT and decreased DOPAC and DOPAC/DA ratio when compared to rats with LR. The results suggest that activation of 5-HT and DA in HY-PA and DA in Str through HR is apparent only on DE-2 while, conversely, on E suppression of striatal DA it is apparent with 5-HT dysregulation. These findings might have some relevance to the predisposition of women with trait anxiety to premenstrual syndrome.
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sfikakis
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Papadopoulou-Daifotis
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sfikaki
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Messari
mesh_terms: D015102:3,4-Dihydroxyphenylacetic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001007:Anxiety / Q000503:physiopathology; D015306:Biogenic Monoamines / Q000502:physiology*; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000502:physiology; D004031:Diestrus / Q000502:physiology*; D004298:Dopamine / Q000502:physiology; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology*; D004971:Estrus / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006897:Hydroxyindoleacetic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D007031:Hypothalamus / Q000502:physiology; D011293:Premenstrual Syndrome / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D011301:Preoptic Area / Q000502:physiology; D011359:Proestrus / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012701:Serotonin / Q000502:physiology; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D015306:Biogenic Monoamines; D015102:3,4-Dihydroxyphenylacetic Acid; D012701:Serotonin; D006897:Hydroxyindoleacetic Acid; D004298:Dopamine