title: Sex and age differences in the impact of the forced swimming test on the levels of steroid hormones.
abstract: Compared with the adult disorder, depression in children exhibits differences in its neurobiology, particularly in the HPA axis regulation. The bases of such differences can be evaluated in animal models of depression. The objective of the present study was to determine age and sex differences of Wistar rats in the forced swimming test (FST). The influence of sex and age on corticosterone, estrogens and testosterone serum levels was also determined. Prepubertal rats showed immobility, swimming and climbing behaviors during the pre-test and test sessions. In addition, in the prepubertal animals, no sex differences were found during the pre-test and test sessions. Age comparisons indicated no differences in the female groups, however adult males exhibited more immobility and less swimming than young males, in both FST sessions. The young and female rats showed less immobility behavior and increased levels of estrogens after the FST. The present results indicate that the FST is an animal model suitable to evaluate depressive-like behaviors in prepubertal subjects and to explore behavioral changes related to neurodevelopment.
authors.affiliation: Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz, Calz. Mexico Xochimilco 101, San Lorenzo Huipulco, Tlalpan, Mexico City, 14370, Mexico. lucia@imp.edu.mx
authors.forename: Lucía
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Martínez-Mota
authors.forename: Rosa-Elena
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Ulloa
authors.forename: Jaime
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Herrera-Pérez
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Chavira
authors.forename: Alonso
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fernández-Guasti
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D001007:Anxiety / Q000097:blood* / Q000503:physiopathology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D013256:Steroids / Q000097:blood*; D013550:Swimming / Q000523:psychology*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D013256:Steroids