title: Behavioral and immunological effects of substance P in female and male mice.
abstract: This study investigated whether the central injection of substance P (SP) promotes differential behavioral [elevated plus-maze (EPM), open-field and hole-board tests] or immunological effects [peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets and nitric oxide (NO) produced by macrophages] in male and female mice. The percentage of time spent on open arms was significantly reduced by SP treatment in female (87%) and male mice (68%). A similar effect was observed in the percentage of entries into open arms (55% and 30%, respectively), as well as in the head-dipping parameter (63% and 27%, respectively), suggesting that SP promoted an anxiogenic-like profile in both sexes, which are detectable only in the plus-maze test. Female mice showed a significant decrease (20%) in the absolute number of lymphocytes and leukocytes comparing with control group and male SP-treated animals (4% of reduction), although only SP-treated males presented an increase (100%) in NO production by macrophages. Thus, our data showed no apparent statistical difference on the anxiogenic-like profile of action induced by SP between female and male mice; notwithstanding, SP, depending on the immune parameter evaluated, differentially influenced both sexes. The implications of these findings, as well as the putative participation of proinflammatory cytokines in this phenomenon, are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Analysis, CCS, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, 82, Florianópolis, SC 88015-420, Brazil.
authors.forename: Raquel M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Teixeira
authors.forename: Filipe S
authors.initials: FS
authors.lastname: Duarte
authors.forename: Thereza C M
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: De Lima
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001007:Anxiety / Q000523:psychology; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects*; D005260:Female; D006120:Grooming / Q000187:drug effects; D007109:Immunity / Q000187:drug effects*; D007276:Injections, Intraventricular; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D008262:Macrophage Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D008264:Macrophages / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000187:drug effects; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000096:biosynthesis; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D013373:Substance P / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D009569:Nitric Oxide; D013373:Substance P