title: Psychopharmacology of maternal separation anxiety in vervet monkeys.
abstract: Maternal separation in non-human primates has been proposed as a model of early adversity. The symptoms of separation anxiety were studied in vervet monkeys, during the weaning period, when psychotropic medications were administered. The control group received a normal diet and treatment groups received citalopram, reboxetine or lamotrigine in their food daily. Treatment was given for 7 weeks starting 1 month prior to weaning. Behavior was recorded twice weekly for 8 weeks, and was rated for anxiety and depression. Cerebrospinal fluid was collected at the beginning and end of the trial and analyzed for monoamines and metabolites using High Performance Liquid Chromatography. Citalopram pretreatment prevented the reduction of affiliation behavior and reduced stereotypies after weaning, and both citalopram and reboxetine abolished the increase in activity seen in control monkeys after weaning, but no statistically significant differences were found between groups. Citalopram pretreatment also significantly increased noradrenaline and 5-hydroxyindolacetic acid (5-HIAA) levels and reboxetine significantly decreased dopamine levels over time. The 5-HIAA levels of reboxetine and lamotrigine treated monkeys were significantly lower than that of the control group at the end of the trial. Although limited by a small sample size, this study demonstrates the possibility of investigating the psychopharmacology of early adversity in a non-human primate model.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Physiology, University of Stellenbosch and MRC Unit on Anxiety Disorders, Tygerberg, South Africa. lrichter@sun.ac.za
authors.forename: Lelanie
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Marais
authors.forename: Willie
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Daniels
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Brand
authors.forename: Francois
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Viljoen
authors.forename: Charmaine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hugo
authors.forename: Dan J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Stein
mesh_terms: D018759:Adrenergic Uptake Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000818:Animals; D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001010:Anxiety, Separation / Q000188:drug therapy*; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects; D015306:Biogenic Monoamines / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D002522:Chlorocebus aethiops; D015283:Citalopram / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D000077213:Lamotrigine; D008297:Male; D008426:Maternal Deprivation; D009025:Morpholines / Q000627:therapeutic use; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D000077593:Reboxetine; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013239:Stereotyped Behavior / Q000187:drug effects; D014227:Triazines / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D018759:Adrenergic Uptake Inhibitors; D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents; D000927:Anticonvulsants; D015306:Biogenic Monoamines; D015283:Citalopram; D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists; D000077213:Lamotrigine; D009025:Morpholines; D000077593:Reboxetine; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors; D014227:Triazines