Expression of miR-16 in the hippocampus of depressed adult rats induced by maternal deprivation.
10.3969/j.issn.1672-7347.2012.12.002
- Author:
Yi ZHANG
1
;
Xiongzhao ZHU
;
Sheng ZHANG
;
Mei BAI
;
Li ZHANG
;
Liang XUE
Author Information
1. Medical Psychological Institute, South University, Changsha, China.
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- MeSH:
Animals;
Animals, Newborn;
Depression;
etiology;
genetics;
Hippocampus;
metabolism;
Male;
Maternal Deprivation;
MicroRNAs;
genetics;
metabolism;
Rats;
Rats, Sprague-Dawley;
Stress, Physiological;
physiology
- From:
Journal of Central South University(Medical Sciences)
2012;37(12):1193-1197
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
OBJECTIVE:To detect the expression of miR-16 in the hippocampus of a rat depression model induced by maternal deprivation, and to explore whether miR-16 is involved in the pathological process of maternal deprivation-induced depression.
METHODS:Newborn SD rats were randomly divided into a maternal deprivation group (n=17) and a control group (n=17). Rats in the maternal deprivation group experienced maternal deprivation for 6 h per day from 1st to 14th postnatal day, while rats in the control group rats received no treatment. When the rats were 13 weeks old, depression-like behaviors were assessed by forced swimming test and sucrose consumption test, and the expression of hippocampal miR-16 in rats was detected by real-time RT-PCR.
RESULTS:Maternal-deprived rats exhibited significantly longer passive floating time and lower sucrose preference rate than rats in the control group (P<0.05). Maternal-deprivation rats expressed higher level of miR-16 in the hippocampus than rats in the control group, and the expression level of miR-16 was significantly associated with the passive floating time (r=0.65, P<0.05) and the sucrose preference rate (r=-0.59, P<0.05).
CONCLUSION:Maternal deprivation can induce depressive behaviors in rats and increase the expression of miR-16 in the hippocampus in rats. MiR-16 may be involved in the pathological mechanism of the maternal deprivation-induced depression.
