Postnatal maturation of prefrontal pyramidal neurones is sensitive to a single early dose of methamphetamine in gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus).
The effect of a single methamphetamine application on postnatal maturation of the prefrontal cortex was studied using pyramidal cell morphology and spine density as parameters of systemic plasticity. Male gerbils were injected a single dose of methamphetamine (METH, 50mg/kg, i.p.) on postnatal day 14. On postnatal day 90, prefrontal cortices of METH-treated animals and saline-treated controls were processed for Golgi-staining. Dendritic arbours of layer III and V pyramidal neurones were measured to describe pyramidal cell morphology, and segmental spine counts were carried out. The results showed that a single postnatal METH-challenge significantly alters morphological differentiation of pyramidal cells towards adulthood. Cells from METH-treated animals showed a higher total dendritic length based on longer segments between subsequent dendritic branchings, with only the apical stem dendrite being shorter in METH-treated than in control subjects. The branching rate was slightly but not significantly increased in METH-treated animals. Nevertheless, spine density was significantly increased on all types of dendrites, with apical dendrites of both layers III and V showing the highest drug-induced progression of about 50% compared to control values. The present results are discussed with regard to probable clues they may provide for investigating neurobiological principles of psychotic behaviour in an animal model.
Blaesing
B
B
Department of Neuroanatomy, Faculty of Biology, University of Bielefeld, Federal Republic of Germany.
Nossoll
M
M
Teuchert-Noodt
G
G
Dawirs
R R
RR
D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism; D001369:Axons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D048429:Cell Size / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D003712:Dendrites / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism; D015259:Dopamine Agents / Q000633:toxicity*; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005849:Gerbillinae; D008297:Male; D008694:Methamphetamine / Q000633:toxicity*; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000473:pathology; D017966:Pyramidal Cells / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology*; D016622:Silver Staining / Q000379:methods; D017557:Ventral Tegmental Area / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism
D015259:Dopamine Agents; D008694:Methamphetamine; D004298:Dopamine