title: Higher BDNF concentrations in the hippocampus and cortex of an aggressive mouse strain.
abstract: Although genetically closely related AB-Halle (ABH) and AB-Gatersleben (ABG) mice inbred strains differ in activity and aggressive behaviour. These behavioural traits have been observed especially in response to social challenges, where ABH mice develop a highly aggressive and active behaviour, which cannot be observed in their ABG counterparts. In contrast to ABG mice, basal brain serotonin, dopamine and noradrenaline concentrations in ABH mice are low but highly stimulated by social challenges. Since brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) modulates central neurotransmitter systems and has been involved in aggressive and activity behaviour, we studied specific concentrations of BDNF and NGF protein in several brain regions of ABG and ABH mice. A significant higher concentration of BDNF protein was found in the hippocampus of 5 weeks and 5 months old ABH mice, when compared to ABG mice. BDNF was also higher in the cortex of 5 weeks and 5 months old ABH mice. Moreover BDNF concentrations were higher in the striatum of 5 months old ABH mice when compared to ABG mice. NGF concentrations in ABH mice were not changed in all measured brain regions but higher in older age in the hippocampus of ABG mice as compared to ABH mice. We hypothesize, that BDNF might be involved in the behavioural and neurochemical mechanisms of aggressive behaviour.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité Medicine Berlin, Campus Mitte, Charitéplatz 1, 10119 Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Undine E
authors.initials: UE
authors.lastname: Lang
authors.forename: Lydia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Günther
authors.forename: Kathrin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Scheuch
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Klein
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Eckhart
authors.forename: Rainer
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hellweg
authors.forename: Heidi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Danker-Hopfe
authors.forename: Jochen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Oehler
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000374:Aggression / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000378:metabolism*; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000378:metabolism*; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology; D017072:Neostriatum / Q000378:metabolism; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor