These tools will no longer be maintained as of December 31, 2024. Archived website can be found here. PubMed4Hh GitHub repository can be found here. Contact NLM Customer Service if you have questions.


Pubmed for Handhelds

PUBMED FOR HANDHELDS

Search MEDLINE/PubMed

  • Title: Environmental factors during early developmental period influence psychobehavioral abnormalities in adult PACAP-deficient mice.
    Author: Ishihama T, Ago Y, Shintani N, Hashimoto H, Baba A, Takuma K, Matsuda T.
    Journal: Behav Brain Res; 2010 Jun 19; 209(2):274-80. PubMed ID: 20144662.
    Abstract:
    Mice lacking the neuropeptide pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) (PACAP(-/-)) display behavioral abnormalities, and genetic variants of the genes encoding PACAP are associated with schizophrenia. Clinical studies show that environmental factors, besides genetic factors, play a key role in etiology of many psychiatric disorders. This study examined the effects of environmental factors such as short-term social isolation and an enriched environment on behavioral abnormalities of PACAP(-/-) mice. Rearing in isolation for 2-weeks from 4-weeks old induced hyperlocomotion and aggressive behaviors in the PACAP(-/-) mice without affecting the behavioral performance of the wild-type controls. Adult PACAP(-/-) mice showed not only hyperactivity, jumping behavior, and depression-like behavior, but also decreased social interaction. These abnormal behaviors were improved by rearing for 4-weeks in an early enriched environment (from 4-weeks old), although the deficits of prepulse inhibition (PPI) were not influenced by the enriched condition. In contrast, rearing for 4-weeks in late enriched environment (from 8-weeks old) did not affect the hyperactivity and jumping behaviors in the PACAP(-/-) mice. These results suggest that abnormal behaviors except PPI deficits in PACAP(-/-) mice depend on the environmental factors during the early stages of development.
    [Abstract] [Full Text] [Related] [New Search]