Environmental enrichment produces a behavioral phenotype mediated by low cyclic adenosine monophosphate response element binding (CREB) activity in the nucleus accumbens.
Biol Psychiatry
; 67(1): 28-35, 2010 Jan 01.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-19709647
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
Previous research has shown that rats reared in an enriched condition (EC) are more sensitive to the acute effects of amphetamine than rats reared in an isolated condition (IC); yet, EC rats self-administer less amphetamine than IC rats. The present study used cocaine to further explore this environmental enrichment behavioral phenotype, as well as the underlying molecular mechanisms involved.METHODS:
Enriched condition and IC rats were studied in a broad battery of behavioral tests, including cocaine conditioned place preference (CPP) and self-administration and several measures of anxiety- and depression-related behavior. The involvement of the transcription factor, cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) response element binding protein (CREB), in mediating EC versus IC differences was investigated.RESULTS:
Enriched condition rats exhibited less cocaine self-administration, despite showing enhanced cocaine CPP. Enriched condition rats also displayed less depression-like behavior but higher levels of anxiety-like behavior. This behavioral phenotype is consistent with low CREB activity in the nucleus accumbens, a key brain reward region. Indeed, EC rats have less phospho-CREB (the transcriptionally active form of the protein) in the nucleus accumbens than IC rats, and a selective knockdown of CREB in this brain region of normally reared rats, by use of a novel viral vector expressing a short hairpin RNA (shRNA) directed against CREB, reproduced the EC behavioral phenotype.CONCLUSIONS:
These studies identify a potential molecular mechanism for how rearing environment-a nonpharmacological, nonsurgical manipulation-can modify a wide range of complex emotional behaviors.
Texto completo:
1
Base de datos:
MEDLINE
Asunto principal:
Fenotipo
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Síntomas Conductuales
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Ambiente
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Proteína de Unión a CREB
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Núcleo Accumbens
Tipo de estudio:
Prognostic_studies
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Biol Psychiatry
Año:
2010
Tipo del documento:
Article