title: The contextual fear conditioning deficit presented by spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) is not improved by mood stabilizers.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We have recently reported that spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) present a contextual fear conditioning (CFC) deficit. This deficit is improved by antipsychotic drugs, potentiated by proschizophrenia manipulations and not altered by acute administration of carbamazepine, lamotrigine and valproic acid. Nevertheless, the effects of lithium-a classical mood stabilizer-or repeated treatment with these drugs were not evaluated. The main aim of the present study was to extend our previous work by investigating a possible beneficial effect of acute and/or chronic treatments with lithium or lamotrigine on the acquisition deficit of CFC presented by SHR.
  
  
  METHODS
  Rats were submitted to CFC task after an acute treatment with lithium and/or a repeated treatment with lithium and lamotrigine.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Our data revealed that the CFC deficit presented by SHR is not improved by acute or repeated treatment with lithium. Repeated lamotrigine treatment potentiated the deficit presented by SHR and impaired CFC in control animals (Wistar Rats).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These data reinforce the absence of beneficial effects of mood stabilizers on the emotional context processing impairment modeled by SHR.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil. calzavara.farm@epm.br
authors.forename: Mariana Bendlin
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Calzavara
authors.forename: Wladimir Agostini
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: Medrano
authors.forename: Raquel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Levin
authors.forename: Tânia Cristina
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Libânio
authors.forename: Rosana
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: de Alencar Ribeiro
authors.forename: Vanessa Costhek
authors.initials: VC
authors.lastname: Abílio
mesh_terms: D000339:Affect / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D018692:Antimanic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003213:Conditioning, Psychological / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D005239:Fear / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D016651:Lithium Carbonate / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008124:Locomotion / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D019964:Mood Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D051381:Rats; D011918:Rats, Inbred SHR; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D018692:Antimanic Agents; D016651:Lithium Carbonate