title: Attenuation of Unpredictable Chronic Mild Stress induced deficits in rats by Apomorphine.
abstract: To investigate the effects of repeated doses of apomorphine in rats exposed to unpredictable chronic mild stress.
  
  
  
  The experimental case-control study was conducted in March 2011 at the Department of Biochemistry, University of Karachi, and comprised albino-wistar rats. The experimental animals were exposed to a schedule of unpredictable chronic mild stress, while control animals were left in the cages. Animals of stressed and unstressed group were administrated with apomorphine at dose of 1.0 mg/kg repeatedly. Daily food intake and activity in familiar environment were monitored to observe the anorexic effects and behavioural sensitisation after apomorphine administration.
  
  
  
  The 24 rats in the study were divided into two groups. Apomorphine-induced anorexia was seen more in stressed animals (p<0.05). Apomorphine increased motor activity monitored in a familiar environment and apomorphine-induced behavioural sensitisation was more potentiated in animals previously exposed to unpredictable chronic mild stress as they showed more cage crosses after 2nd and 3rd (p<0.05) and 4th to 6th (p<0.01) injections compared to the stressed rats with saline. These animals also exhibited hyperactive response in open field apparatus after 1st and 6th injection (p<0.01) compared to the saline-injected stressed rats.
  
  
  
  Repeated administration of apomorphine at 1.0 mg/kg dose alleviated the behavioural deficits of unpredictable chronic mild stress.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, University of Karachi, Karachi, Pakistan; ICCBS, University of Karachi, Karachi, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Muhammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Farhan
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, University of Karachi, Karachi, Pakistan; ICCBS, University of Karachi, Karachi, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Darakshan Jabeen
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Haleem
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001058:Apomorphine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D018491:Dopamine Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004435:Eating; D009043:Motor Activity; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013315:Stress, Psychological
chemical_list: D018491:Dopamine Agonists; D001058:Apomorphine
keywords: Unpredictable chronic mild stress, Depression, Locomotors activity, Behavioural sensitisation, Dopamine agonist, Apomorphine.  