Chronic stress changes prepulse inhibition after amphetamine challenge: the role of the dopaminergic system

J Physiol Pharmacol. 2018 Jun;69(3). doi: 10.26402/jpp.2018.3.15. Epub 2018 Oct 18.

Abstract

The goal of this research was to examine the influence of chronic mild stress (CMS) on prepulse inhibition (PPI). We used an amphetamine challenge to study the role of the dopaminergic system in limbic structures. Chronic stress caused a reduction in both sucrose preference and body weight. It was found that the initially strong response to amphetamine in the control rats was weakened after stress on both the behavioural and biochemical levels: improved PPI, decreased dopamine D2 receptor expression in the central nucleus of amygdala (CeA) and nucleus accumbens (NAC), and decreased dopamine and 3-MT (3-methoxytyramine) levels in NAC. We observed that the stress-evoked attenuation of amphetamine-induced stimulation was also paralleled by changes in corticosterone level. These effects were accompanied by a decrease in both glutamate and the glutamate/gamma-aminobutric acid (GABA) ratio in the NAC. The interpretation of these results is that prolonged stress induces compensatory mechanisms in the mesolimbic system which are responsible for psychostimulant (amphetamine) effects.

MeSH terms

  • Amphetamine / pharmacology*
  • Animals
  • Central Amygdaloid Nucleus / drug effects*
  • Central Amygdaloid Nucleus / physiology
  • Central Nervous System Stimulants / pharmacology*
  • Corticosterone / metabolism
  • Dopamine / metabolism
  • Glutamic Acid / metabolism
  • Male
  • Nucleus Accumbens / drug effects*
  • Nucleus Accumbens / physiology
  • Prepulse Inhibition / drug effects*
  • Rats, Wistar
  • Receptors, Dopamine D2 / physiology*
  • Stress, Psychological / metabolism
  • Stress, Psychological / physiopathology*
  • gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / metabolism

Substances

  • Central Nervous System Stimulants
  • Receptors, Dopamine D2
  • Glutamic Acid
  • gamma-Aminobutyric Acid
  • Amphetamine
  • Dopamine
  • Corticosterone