Compulsive-like behaviour according to the sex and the reproductive stage of female rats

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to explore putative differences in the responses assessed in an animal model of obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) according to the sex and the reproductive cycle of female rats. The model consists of the induction of perseveration (repetitive choices of the same arm in a T-maze) by 8-OH-DPAT (1.0 mg/kg). Males and females (pooled in all stages of their oestrous cycle) persevered after 8-OH-DPAT administration and no differences were observed between groups. During the oestrous cycle, this 5-HT 1A agonist induced perseveration in metoestrus, dioestrus and prooestrus and reduced levels of this behaviour in oestrus. 8-OH-DPAT provoked perseveration in mid-gestation, an effect that was reduced in late-gestation and blocked during lactation. Reproductive cycle changes in the induced perseveration are discussed from the standpoint of the ovarian steroids’ action on the serotoninergic system and on the bases of the variations in stress responsiveness along the reproductive cycle of the female. Present results validate the use of females in this model of OCD and could be relevant for studying the role of reproductive hormones in the pathophysiology of this disorder.