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Anhedonia and activity deficits in rats: impact of post-stroke depression

Department of Neurology and Institution of Cerebral Vascular Disease, Affiliated ZhongDa Hospital of Southeast University, Nanjing, JiangSu Provence, China

ZJ Zhang

Department of Neurology and Institution of Cerebral Vascular Disease, Affiliated ZhongDa Hospital of Southeast University, Nanjing, JiangSu Provence, China zhijunzhang838{at}yahoo.com.cn

YJ Guo

Department of Neurology and Institution of Cerebral Vascular Disease, Affiliated ZhongDa Hospital of Southeast University, Nanjing, JiangSu Provence, China

H Zhou

Department of Neurology and Institution of Cerebral Vascular Disease, Affiliated ZhongDa Hospital of Southeast University, Nanjing, JiangSu Provence, China

GJ Teng

Institution of Molecular Imaging, Southeast University, Nanjing, JiangSu Provence, China

BA Chen

Medical College, Southeast University, Nanjing, JiangSu Provence, China

Abstract

Animal models may allow investigation into the aetiology and treatment of various human disorders. In the present study, a rat model for post-stroke depression (PSD) has been developed using middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO), followed by an 18-day chronic mild stress (CMS) paradigm in conjuncture with isolation rearing. The open-field test (OFT) and the sucrose consumption test were used to assess depression-like behaviour and the effects of the antidepressant citalopram. CMS induced behavioural changes in the ischemic animals, including decreased locomotor and rearing activity and reduced sucrose preference (compared with baseline, control and stroke groups respectively), all these behaviours were reversed by chronic administration of citalopram. During the recovery period for the PSD models, the open-field activity and preference for sweet sucrose solution decreased continually, opposed to rats subjected to stress only. Decreased locomotor and rearing represents activity deficits, whereas reduced sucrose preference may indicate desensitisation of the brain reward mechanism (anhedonia). Our findings suggest that anhedonia, one of the core symptoms in patients with PSD, and activity deficits can be found in the MCAO+CMS group of animals. Furthermore, citalopram can ameliorate the behavioural abnormalities observed in these animals. With high validity, good operability and repeatability, our findings suggest that the ischemic rat CMS model is an appropriate model for further PSD research.

Key Words: animal model • chronic mild stress • citalopram • post-stroke depression

This version was published on May 1, 2009

Journal of Psychopharmacology, Vol. 23, No. 3, 295-304 (2009)
DOI: 10.1177/0269881108089814


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