title: Estrogen prevents 5-HT1A receptor-induced disruptions of prepulse inhibition in healthy women.
abstract: The sex steroid hormone, estrogen, has been proposed to be protective against schizophrenia. This study examined the effects of estrogen treatment on modulation of prepulse inhibition (PPI) by the serotonin-1A (5-HT1A) receptor partial agonist, buspirone. PPI is a model of sensorimotor gating, which is deficient in schizophrenia and other mental illnesses. A total of 11 healthy women were tested following four acute treatment conditions: placebo, buspirone (Buspar; 5 mg), estradiol (Estrofem; 2 mg), and combined buspirone and estradiol. Electromyogram activity was measured across three interstimulus intervals (ISI): 30, 60, and 120 ms. There was no significant effect of either drug treatment on startle amplitude or habituation. At 120 ms ISI, buspirone caused a significant disruption of PPI and pretreatment with estrogen prevented this disruption. Estrogen treatment, administered in the appropriate experimental conditions, prevented PPI deficits induced by 5-HT(1A) receptor activation and may therefore also play a protective role in sensorimotor gating deficits in schizophrenia.
authors.affiliation: Behavioural Neuroscience Laboratory, Mental Health Research Institute of Victoria, Parkville, VIC, Australia. agogos@mhri.edu.au
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gogos
authors.forename: Pradeep J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Nathan
authors.forename: Valérie
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Guille
authors.forename: Rodney J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Croft
authors.forename: Maarten
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: van den Buuse
mesh_terms: D000161:Acoustic Stimulation / Q000009:adverse effects; D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D002065:Buspirone / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004967:Estrogens / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009433:Neural Inhibition / Q000187:drug effects*; D044282:Receptor, Serotonin, 5-HT1A / Q000502:physiology*; D013216:Reflex, Startle / Q000187:drug effects*; D017366:Serotonin Receptor Agonists / Q000008:administration & dosage
chemical_list: D004967:Estrogens; D017366:Serotonin Receptor Agonists; D044282:Receptor, Serotonin, 5-HT1A; D002065:Buspirone