title: Suppressed expression of cystathionine β-synthase and smaller cerebellum in Wistar Kyoto rats.
abstract: We previously reported that Wistar Kyoto rats, an animal model of depression, have a characteristically abnormal serine metabolism in the brain, i.e., lower serine and cystathionine, which is a metabolite of serine, concentrations in the brain. To explore the mechanism underlying this abnormality, the expression of cystathionine β-synthase and serine racemase, which are the enzymes involved in the serine metabolism, was investigated in the cerebellum and hippocampus of Wistar and Wistar Kyoto rats. Wistar Kyoto rats exhibited a significantly lower mRNA expression of cystathionine β-synthase in the cerebellum in comparison with Wistar rats, while expression levels in the hippocampus did not differ between strains. Previous study indicated that the reduction of cystathionine β-synthase in the brain induced cerebellar aplasia in mice. Therefore, the cerebellar size was compared between Wistar rats and Wistar Kyoto rats. Wistar Kyoto rats displayed a lower ratio of cerebellum weight to whole-brain weight compared with Wistar rats of the same generation or similar body weight, suggesting that Wistar Kyoto rats exhibit smaller cerebellum. These results suggest that the lower mRNA expression of cystathionine β-synthase in the cerebellum and the smaller size of cerebellum may be related to the depression-like behavior in Wistar Kyoto rats.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Regulation in Metabolism and Behavior, Graduate School of Bioresource and Bioenvironmental Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 812-8581, Japan.
authors.forename: Mao
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nagasawa
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Regulation in Metabolism and Behavior, Graduate School of Bioresource and Bioenvironmental Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 812-8581, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiromi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ikeda
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Regulation in Metabolism and Behavior, Graduate School of Bioresource and Bioenvironmental Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 812-8581, Japan.
authors.forename: Takahiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kawase
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Regulation in Metabolism and Behavior, Graduate School of Bioresource and Bioenvironmental Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 812-8581, Japan.
authors.forename: Ayaka
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Iwamoto
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Regulation in Metabolism and Behavior, Graduate School of Bioresource and Bioenvironmental Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 812-8581, Japan.
authors.forename: Shinobu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yasuo
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Regulation in Metabolism and Behavior, Graduate School of Bioresource and Bioenvironmental Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 812-8581, Japan. Electronic address: furuse@brs.kyushu-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Mitsuiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Furuse
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight / Q000502:physiology; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D003541:Cystathionine beta-Synthase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D003863:Depression / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic / Q000235:genetics; D009929:Organ Size / Q000502:physiology; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D019998:Racemases and Epimerases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D011921:Rats, Inbred WKY / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000378:metabolism; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D000099300:Serine Racemase
chemical_list: D003541:Cystathionine beta-Synthase; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D019998:Racemases and Epimerases; D000099300:Serine Racemase
keywords: Cerebellum; Cystathionine β-synthase; Serine racemase; Wistar Kyoto rats