title: Corticosterone increases depression-like behavior, with some effects on predator odor-induced defensive behavior, in male and female rats.
abstract: This experiment examined the effect of repeated corticosterone injections on anxiety and depression-like behavior in male and female rats. Rats received either corticosterone or vehicle injections for 21 consecutive days prior to behavioral testing in the forced swim, open-field, and predator odor tests. The corticosterone injections significantly increased depression-like behavior in the forced swim test in both male and female rats but had no significant effect on anxiety in the open-field test. In the predator odor test, the corticosterone injections significantly increased a subset of defensive behaviors in the male rats. These results suggest that repeated exposure to corticosterone increases depression-like behavior, with some effects on anxiety, and that male rats may be more affected than female rats by this manipulation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. lisa.kalynchuk@dal.ca
authors.forename: Lisa E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Kalynchuk
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gregus
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Boudreau
authors.forename: Tara S
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Perrot-Sinal
mesh_terms: D000374:Aggression / Q000187:drug effects; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D003345:Corticosterone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D003863:Depression / Q000139:chemically induced*; D005106:Exploratory Behavior / Q000187:drug effects*; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D009812:Odorants; D051381:Rats; D020318:Rats, Long-Evans; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D013550:Swimming; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D003345:Corticosterone