Role of Wnt canonical pathway on the impact of Social Isolation during adolescence over cocaine effects in rats: sex-specific differences.

RAMIREZ, ABRAHAM; TROSSERO, LUCÍA; YOLDJIAN, MARTIN; PACCHIONI, ALEJANDRA

San Luis

Congreso; XXXVIII Congreso Anual de la Sociedad Argentina de Investigación en Neurociencias; 2023

Sociedad Argentina de Investigación en Neurociencias

Adolescence is adevelopmental period associated with high stress sensitivity. Likewise, someevidence supports the relationship between stress exposure and drugs use. Our teamis focused on understanding the role of Social Isolation (SI) as well as ageand sex in vulnerability to cocaine in rats. Furthermore, we are evaluating therole of the Wnt canonical pathway by measuring b-catenin levels in brainareas. Recently, we showed that 5 days of SI from postnatal days (PND) 30 to 35decreases b-catenin levels in Prefrontal Cortex (PFC); and increases cocaineresponse in adult male rats. Here, we examine if 5 days of SI (PND30-35) wouldinduce cocaine sensitization on PND45 as well as changes on b-catenin levelsin PFC, in female and male rats. Our results showed that SI induced cocaine(5mg/kg i.p.) sensitization only in male rats (p<0,05). Also, isolated malesdisplayed lower exploratory (p<0,05) and higher anxiety (p<0,05) responsesthan controls. In contrast, female rats showed similar cocaine responses regardlessprevious SI exposure. In addition, b-catenin levels in PFC would decrease aftercocaine injection in control as well as in isolated male rats (p<0,01). Moreover,the role of PFC’s b-catenin in SI-induced cocaine sensitization will be confirmed byintraPFC pathway inhibitor infusions. Overall, these results contribute tounderstand the behavioural and neurobiological differences associate to stress impactduring adolescence, over cocaine effects on both sexes.