| Title | Quetiapine ameliorates anxiety-like behavior and cognitive impairments in stressed rats: implications for the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder. | | Author(s) | Wang HN, Peng Y, Tan QR, Chen YC, Zhang RG, Qiao YT, Wang HH, Liu L, Kuang F, Wang BR, Zhang ZJ | | Institution | Department of Psychiatry, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China. tanqingr@fmmu.edu.cn; School of Chinese Medicine, University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China. zhangzj@hkucc.hku.hk. | | Source | Physiol Res 2009 Jun 19. | | Abstract | The purpose of this study was to determine preventive and protective effects of chronic orally administration with quetiapine (QUE) against anxiety-like behavior and cognitive impairments in rats exposed to the enhanced single prolonged stress (ESPS) an animal model that is used to study post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and detect changes in the expression of cortical phosphorylated p44/42 extracellular-regulated protein kinase (pERK1/2). Before or after exposed to ESPS paradigm, consisting of 2-hr constraint, 20-min forced swimming, ether-induced loss of consciousness, and an electric foot shock, rats were administered orally with QUE (10 mg/kg daily) for 14 days. Animals were then tested in the open field (OF), elevated plus-maze (EPM), and Morris water maze (MWM). Brains were removed for immunohistochemical staining of pERK1/2. ESPS exposure resulted in pronounced anxiety-like behavior compared to unexposed animals. ESPS-exposed animals also displayed marked learning and spatial memory impairments. QUE treatment, both pre- and post-ESPS, however, significantly ameliorated anxiety-like behavior, learning and spatial memory impairments. ESPS also markedly reduced the expression of pERK1/2 in the prefrontal cortex, medial amygdala nucleus, and cingulate gyrus. Both pre- and post-exposed QUE treatments significantly elevated the reduced pERK1/2 expression in the three brain regions. QUE has preventive and protective effects against stress-associated symptoms and the changes in pERK1/2 functions may be associated with the pathophysiology of traumatic stress and the therapeutic efficacy of anti-PTSD therapy. | | Language | ENG | | Pub Type(s) | JOURNAL ARTICLE
| | PubMed ID | 19537923 |
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