Abstract
Longitudinal studies on patients for schizophrenia suggest that functional brain perturbations precede the onset of symptoms. Rats with a neonatal ventral hippocampal lesion (NVHL) are considered as a heuristic neurodevelopmental model of schizophrenia. We characterized basal metabolic changes observed in NVHL rats before and after the age when known behavioral alterations have been reported. Male pups were lesioned with ibotenic acid at postnatal day 7 (PD7). We measured local cerebral metabolic rates for glucose (LCMRglc) by the quantitative autoradiographic [(14)C]2-deoxyglucose technique at pre- (PD21) and postpubertal (PD42) ages when NVHL rats do not express abnormal dopamine related behaviors, and at adulthood (PD70). We observed a widespread increase in LCMRglcs in PD21 NVHL indicative of an ongoing intense reorganization of the brain while at PD42, increases were less extended. At PD70, changes in glucose metabolism were restricted to specific systems, such as the auditory system, the cerebellum, the serotonergic median raphe, and median septum. These data show in a heuristic animal model of schizophrenia that functional metabolic changes within the brain could precede the onset of dopamine-related behavioral alterations and lead to a distinct ensemble of functional changes in adulthood in systems that may be relevant to schizophrenia.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
