Studying the Involvement of Ghrelin in the Mechanism of Gambling Addiction in Rats after Exposure to Psychogenic Stressors in Early Ontogenesis

Abstract

We investigated the role of ghrelin and its receptors in the manifestation of gambling a-ddiction elements in rats exposed to early psychogenic stress. Rearing in conditions of social isolation or maternal deprivation in early ontogeny increased risk behavior and impulsivity in the Iowa Gambling Task test: animals sought more food reinforcement, but with a low probability. Maternal deprivation or rearing in social isolation increased expression of Ghsr in the amygdala and hypothalamus respectively. The level of expression of the gene under study in the prefrontal cortex did not change. It is concluded that early psychogenic stress causes an imbalance in the brain ghrelin regulatory system, which manifests itself in increased of Ghsr level as well as elements of gambling addiction. The scheme of the effect of chronic stress on the hypothalamic ghrelin system and on the extrahypothalamic regulation of ghrelin is presented.