title: Isolated Flinders Sensitive Line rats have decreased dopamine D2 receptor mRNA.
abstract: Social isolation has profound effects on animal behavior and dopamine systems. We investigated the effect of social isolation on the dopamine receptor and neuropeptide mRNAs in the brain reward system in an animal model of depression, the Flinders Sensitive Line rats and Sprague-Dawley controls. We demonstrate that socially isolated but not group housed Flinders sensitive line rats had lower dopamine D2 receptor mRNA levels compared with Sprague-Dawley rats. Isolated and group housed Flinders Sensitive Line rats had higher levels of dopamine D1 receptor and substance P and enkephalin but not dynorphin mRNAs when compared with Sprague-Dawley rats. Our findings of decreased dopamine D2 receptor levels in socially isolated Flinders Sensitive Line rats suggest that low D2 receptor expression may play a role in pathophysiology of depression.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden. astrid.bjornebekk@ki.se
authors.forename: Astrid
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bjørnebekk
authors.forename: Aleksander A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Mathé
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Brené
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism; D003863:Depression / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000502:physiology*; D017403:In Situ Hybridization / Q000379:methods; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D017448:Receptors, Dopamine D2 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D012934:Social Isolation
chemical_list: D012333:RNA, Messenger; D017448:Receptors, Dopamine D2