Behavioral and neurochemical changes induced by post-weaning female rats isolation

Abstract

Rodents post-weaning isolation could be considered a significant early-life model of chronic stress. The aim of our study was to investigate the effects of female rats post-weaning isolation on different behavioral tests and neurochemical parameters. On postnatal day 21, female pups were housed either isolated or socially in groups (4/cage) for 6 weeks. After the 6th week adult female rats were behaviorally examined using open field test, three chamber social interaction test, hole board test and condition avoidance test. In addition, hippocampal content of neurotransmitters, oxidative stress and inflammatory markers were measured. Isolated female rats exhibited behavioral changes, female rats shows a significant increase in anxiety and a significant decrease in locomotor activity in comparison to the control group using open field test . Moreover, female rats isolation promoted a significant decrease in sociality index as compared to control groups. Finally, female rats post-weaning isolation of invoked a significant impairment in long-term and short-term memory evaluated by both conditioned avoidance and hole board tests, in comparison to the control group. Furthermore, female rats post- weaning isolation induced oxidative stress, inflammation, and neurotransmitter alterations. Collectively female rats post weaning isolation had significantly prompted both behavioral and neurochemical changes which could represent the essential important symptoms of schizophrenia.