Early maternal separation influence on Glucocorticoid Receptors in adult rats under Amitriptyline treatment

COTELLA, EVELIN M.; DURANDO, PATRICIA E.; SUÁREZ, MARTA M.

Huerta Grande, Pcia. de Córdoba, Argentina

Congreso; Second Joint Meeting of the Argentine Society for Neuroscience; 2010

Sociedad Argentina de Neurociencia

Early environment has many long-term effects on animals. It may affect the regulation the HPA axis during adulthood leading to a differential glucocorticoid secretion. Two types of nuclear receptors for corticosteroids were identified: mineralocorticoid receptors (MR) and glucocorticoid receptor (GR). They mediate in a coordinate manner the steroid control of HPA activity and behavior. The signaling through GR and MR has an important role in the interaction between limbic system and HPA axis. It?s been proposed that alteration in the balance between the expression and functioning of these receptors would be an important factor in the pathogenesis of stress related disorders. The aim of this work was to measure the expression of GR and MR in Hippocampus of adult Wistar Rats treated with antidepressant Amitriptyline (10 mg/KG), which were previously exposed to 4.5 h of maternal separation during the first 3 weeks of life. Maternal separation showed a tendency to reduce the expression of GR on CA1 and CA3 regions of hippocampus because of the aversive environment during development, and this appeared to be reverted by the treatment with amitriptyline during adulthood. This may restore the regulation of HPA axis, which is consistent with previous results of corticosterone secretion in the same conditions. MR expression and GR:MR ratio were not altered by maternal separation.