Depressive-like behavior in mice recently recovered from motor disorders after 3-nitropropionic acid intoxication.
OBJECTIVE
Striatum may be involved in depressive disorders according to the neuroimaging analysis and clinical data. However, no animal model at present supported the possible role of striatum in the pathogenesis of depression. In the present study, we have investigated the depressive-like behavior in mice recently intoxicated with 3-nitropropionic acid (3-NP), a widely known toxin that selectively damages the striatum in the brain.


METHODS
Mouse model was made with subacute systemic 3-NP treatment, and the depressive-like behavior was measured using the duration of immobility during forced swimming test (FST).


RESULTS
When the mice at day 15 post-intoxication just totally recovered from motor deficits, the duration of immobility in FST was significantly longer than that in controls. The depressive-like behavior was not due to the fatigue or general sickness following 3-NP intoxication and could be reversed by the antidepressant, desipramine hydrochloride. In two successive FST in 24 h interval, the depressive-like behavior could be observed again in subsequent FST (at day 16 post-intoxication), and the mice presented a normal "learned helplessness".


CONCLUSIONS
A novel depression animal model could be established in mice during the initial period of recovery from 3-NP intoxication. The depression-like behavior might occur independently without involvement of cognitive defects, and the striatal lesions may underlie the depression-like behavior attributable to 3-NP intoxication.
Li
Xiao-Min
XM
Department of Physiology, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
Zhu
Bing-Gen
BG
Ma
Sha
S
Zhou
Wei
W
Wei
Zheng
Z
Zheng
Yu-Xiang
YX
Zhao
Xu-Dong
XD
Zhu
Rong-Shen
RS
D000818:Animals; D003292:Convulsants / Q000633:toxicity*; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000187:drug effects*; D003863:Depression / Q000139:chemically induced*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D051379:Mice; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects; D009574:Nitro Compounds / Q000633:toxicity*; D011422:Propionates / Q000633:toxicity*
D003292:Convulsants; D009574:Nitro Compounds; D011422:Propionates; C015392:3-nitropropionic acid