ADULT CELL PROLIFERATION IN THE DENTATE GYRUS: MATERNAL SEPARATION MATTERS? RESULTS FROM A RAT DEPRESSION MODEL

MIR F; AGUGGIA JULIETA P.; RIVAROLA, M.A.; SUÁREZ, MARTA MAGDALENA

Mar del Plata Buenos Aires

Congreso; Reunión Anual de SOCIEDADES DE BIOCIENCIA; 2019

SAIC . SAFE . SAB . SAP

Depression is one of the most commonand debilitating mental disorders; however, its etiology remainsunclear. Some possible pathophysiological mechanisms includealtered neurotransmission, HPA axis abnormalities involved inchronic stress, reduced neuroplasticity, and network dysfunction.Neonatal maternal separation induces long-term alterations inthe morphology of hippocampus and may increase vulnerabilityto depression when a stressful situation occurs in adulthood.Treatment with the antidepressant tianeptine may reverse thestress-induced alterations in neuroplasticity. The aim of ourstudy was to investigate if the interaction between neonatalmaternal separation and chronic unpredictable stress inadulthood can alter cell proliferation in the dentate gyrus. Also,the effect of the antidepressant tianeptine in the alterationsinduced by the present model was assessed. Wistar derived malerats were separated from their mother for 4.5 hr during the first3 weeks of life. From day postnatal 50, were exposed to anunpredictable chronic stress paradigm (depression model) during24 days and were daily treated with tianeptine (10 mg/kg, i.p.)or vehicle. Cell proliferation was evaluated by bromodeoxyuridine(BrdU) immunohistochemistry in the subgranular stratum ofdentate gyrus. Maternally-separated rats showed a decrease incell proliferation (p