Abstract
Changes in reproductive hormones, such as estrogen, play a role in mood regulation. The present study examined strain differences (Long–Evans vs. Wistar–Hannover) in the behavioral and biochemical effects of estrogen manipulation. Adult ovariectomized female rats were treated with estradiol, vehicle, or withdrawn from estradiol. The two strains demonstrated differential behavioral responses to short-term estradiol administration in the forced swim test; estradiol induced an antidepressant-like effect in Long–Evans rats but not in Wistar rats. Conversely, withdrawal from estradiol resulted in a depressive-like state in the Wistar rats but not in the Long–Evans rats. Western blot analyses found no differences in estrogen receptors α and β within the hippocampus or the frontal cortex, two brain areas strongly implicated in affective disorders. These data demonstrate the importance of strain as a variable when interpreting behavioral effects of estrogen.
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