title: Perinatal MK-801 treatment affects age-related changes in locomotor activity from childhood to later adulthood in rats.
abstract: Neuronal degeneration underlying the pathology of schizophrenia is already present during childhood. However, most of these studies were done in adult humans or animals. The present study therefore investigated age-related changes of behavior in an innovative version of the Open Field Maze following perinatal chronic administration of the noncompetitive N-methyl-D-aspartate antagonist MK-801. The waxing and waning pattern of locomotor activity during aging with a peak around the age of 90 days was profoundly attenuated by MK-801. MK-801 further reduced locomotion and body weight in mature rats. However, it increased explorative behavior in immature rats. Therefore, the chronic perinatal administration of MK-801 seems to be a model to investigate the pathological mechanisms of psychomotor retardation and body weight dysregulation in schizophrenia.
authors.affiliation: Experimental Sleep Research, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Niemannsweg 147, D24105 Kiel, Germany. schiffelholz@psychiatry.uni-kiel.de
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Schiffelholz
authors.forename: Dunja
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hinze-Selch
authors.forename: Josef B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Aldenhoff
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000375:Aging / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D016291:Dizocilpine Maleate / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005106:Exploratory Behavior / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D051381:Rats
chemical_list: D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists; D016291:Dizocilpine Maleate