title: Effects of hippocampal N-methyl-D-aspartate infusion on locomotor activity and prepulse inhibition: differences between the dorsal and ventral hippocampus.
abstract: Prepulse inhibition (PPI) of the acoustic startle response and open-field locomotor activity were measured after bilateral infusion of N-methyl-D-aspartate into the ventral (0.10, 0.25, 0.50 microg/side) and dorsal (0.10, 0.25, 0.50, 0.70 microg/side) hippocampus of Wistar rats. Dose-dependent hyperactivity and disruption of PPI--behavioral effects related to psychotic symptoms--were observed after ventral infusions but were virtually absent after dorsal infusions. This functional dorsal-ventral difference might be related to the different connections of the dorsal and ventral hippocampus with the amygdala, nucleus accumbens, and prefrontal cortex, which have been implicated in the regulation of locomotor activity and PPI. Hippocampal overactivity has been associated with schizophrenia. The findings suggest that overstimulation of the ventral hippocampal projections may contribute to behavioral outcomes related to psychotic symptoms.
authors.affiliation: Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich, Schwerzenbach.
authors.forename: Wei-Ning
authors.initials: WN
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Tobias
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bast
authors.forename: Joram
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Feldon
mesh_terms: D000679:Amygdala / Q000187:drug effects; D000818:Animals; D001245:Association Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D001931:Brain Mapping; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects*; D016202:N-Methylaspartate / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009433:Neural Inhibition / Q000187:drug effects*; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000187:drug effects; D009714:Nucleus Accumbens / Q000187:drug effects; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013216:Reflex, Startle / Q000187:drug effects*; D012931:Social Environment
chemical_list: D016202:N-Methylaspartate