title: Sex differences in social interaction of methamphetamine-treated rats.
abstract: Our previous study showed that single injection of methamphetamine decreases social interaction (SI) in a dose-dependent manner that was further affected by stressful environment conditions. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of methamphetamine and its interaction with gonadal hormones on SI. Adult male and female rats were gonadectomized and assigned to testosterone-treated and oil-treated groups in male rats and estradiol-treated and oil-treated groups in female rats, respectively. Hormones were administered 30 min before each habituation in the open field. All four hormonal groups were further divided to control (without injection), saline (1 ml/kg saline injection), and methamphetamine (1 mg/kg) groups. Injections were applied 30 min before the SI test. The total duration and the total number of SI and nonsocial behavioral patterns were assessed. This study showed that an acute methamphetamine administration in a dose of 1 mg/kg decreased different types of SI in both sexes. In contrast, the same dose of methamphetamine increased locomotion and rearing behavior in male and female rats. The frequency and/or duration of SI (especially mutual sniffing and allogrooming) was lower in adult female rats relative to gonadectomized male rats, but locomotion was increased in female relative to male rats regardless of the presence or absence of gonadal hormones. In conclusion, this study is novel especially because it examines SI in both sexes in relation to the presence or absence of gonadal hormones.
authors.affiliation: Department of Normal, Pathological, and Clinical Physiology, 3rd Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic. rslamber@lf3.cuni.cz
authors.forename: Romana
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Slamberová
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mikulecká
authors.forename: Marie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pometlová
authors.forename: Barbora
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Schutová
authors.forename: Lenka
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hrubá
authors.forename: Kateryna
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Deykun
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; D004347:Drug Interactions; D004958:Estradiol / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D042341:Gonadal Hormones / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D006066:Gonads / Q000601:surgery; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008124:Locomotion; D008297:Male; D008694:Methamphetamine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D023421:Models, Animal; D009043:Motor Activity; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012737:Sex Factors; D013739:Testosterone / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants; D042341:Gonadal Hormones; D013739:Testosterone; D008694:Methamphetamine; D004958:Estradiol