Effects of Maternal Separation and Fluoxetine Treatment on the Expressions of Nitric Oxide Synthases in Hypothalamus of Rat Brain.
- Author:
Geon Ju CHO
1
;
Soon Ae KIM
;
Hee Jae LEE
;
Joo Ho CHUNG
;
Jong Woo KIM
Author Information
1. Seoul National Hospital, Seoul, Korea. psyjongwoo@freechal.com
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords:
Maternal separation;
Stress;
Fluoxetine;
Nitric oxide synthase
- MeSH:
Animals;
Brain*;
Fluoxetine*;
Humans;
Hypothalamus*;
Mothers;
NAD;
Neurons;
Nitric Oxide Synthase;
Nitric Oxide*;
Paraventricular Hypothalamic Nucleus;
Rats*
- From:Korean Journal of Psychopharmacology
2002;13(4):262-268
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:Korean
-
Abstract:
OBJECTIVE: This study was aimed to clarify the effects of maternal separation and fluoxetine treatment on the expression of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) in rat hypothalamus. METHODS: Rat pups were separated from their mother and socially isolated on postnatal day 15 and were treated with fluoxetine (10 mg/kg/day) for 7 days, after which nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate-diaphorase (NADPH-d) histochemical staining were carried out. RESULTS: The maternal separation with normal saline treatment group showed significant decrease in the density of NADPH-d positive neurons in comparison with continous maternal care group in paraventricular nucleus (PVN). In the maternal separation with fluoxetine treatment group, the density of NADPH-d positive neurons was significantly increased in PVN compared to the maternal separation with normal saline treatment group. CONCLUSION: These results suggests role of NOS in the biological mechanism of maternal separation and the action of fluoxetine. We expect these will be used as basis for evaluation of pathophysiology of stress or maternal separation-related disorders in clinical aspect.
