Phencyclidine (PCP)-induced disruption in cognitive performance is gender-specific and associated with a reduction in Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) in specific regions of the female rat brain

Shikha Snigdha, Joanna C. Neill, Samantha L. McLean, Gaurav K. Shemar, Leonie Cruise, Mohammed Shahid, Brian Henry

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    Abstract

    Phencyclidine (PCP), used to mimic certain aspects of schizophrenia, induces sexually dimorphic, cognitive deficits in rats. In this study, the effects of sub-chronic PCP on expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a neurotrophic factor implicated in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia, have been evaluated in male and female rats. Male and female hooded-Lister rats received vehicle or PCP (n=8 per group; 2 mg/kg i.p. twice daily for 7 days) and were tested in the attentional set shifting task prior to being sacrificed (6 weeks post-treatment). Levels of BDNF mRNA were measured in specific brain regions using in situ hybridisation. Male rats were less sensitive to PCP-induced deficits in the extra-dimensional shift stage of the attentional set shifting task compared to female rats. Quantitative analysis of brain regions demonstrated reduced BDNF levels in the medial prefrontal cortex (p
    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)337-345
    Number of pages8
    JournalJournal of Molecular Neuroscience
    Volume43
    Issue number3
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - Mar 2011

    Keywords

    • BDNF
    • Gender
    • PCP
    • Rats
    • Set-shifting

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