Korean J Psychopharmacol.  2012 Jan;23(1):5-10.

L-NAME, a Non Selective Nitric Oxide Synthase, Affects Stress-Related Behaviors and Glial Cell-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Expression in Restrained Adolescent ICR Mice

• Kwon KJ
• Byun JS
• Lee JW
• Chun W
• Kim SS
• Lee HJ

Abstract

OBJECTIVE
Depending on genetic or environmental effects over adolescent development, typical behavioral responses come out in adolescence. Also, alteration of nitric oxide (NO) levels in the brain has been associated with modifications of stress related behavior. Present study was designed to investigate the possible influence of chronic stress from restraint on the generation of depression in adolescent mice, and also to evaluate whether NO has modulatory roles in the behavioral and biological reactions.
METHODS
ICR mice exposed to stressful restraint, 2 h per day, was treated with NG-nitro L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) (10 mg/kg), a non-selective NO synthase (NOS) inhibitor. To evaluate depression-like behavior in the mice, forced swim test and open field test were performed after the last restraint. To investigate stress-induced changes in the expression level of glial cell-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF), free-floating immunohistochemistry was performed.
RESULTS
The results showed that stressed group has longer immobility time and less crossing number in forced swimming and open field test, and that these stress responses were significantly prevented by L-NAME. Furthermore, decreased GDNF expression in the hippocampus by stress was prevented to that of controls within the L-NAME treated group.
CONCLUSION
The results suggest that stress and NO signaling could be involved in generation of depression in adolescence. It also suggested that GDNF might contribute to prevent stress-related behaviors.

Keyword

Restraint stress; Adolescence; Nitric oxide signaling; Depression

MeSH Terms

Adolescent
Adolescent Development
Animals
Arginine
Brain
Depression
Glial Cell Line-Derived Neurotrophic Factor
Hippocampus
Humans
Immunohistochemistry
Mice
Mice, Inbred ICR
NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester
Nitric Oxide
Nitric Oxide Synthase
Swimming
Arginine
Glial Cell Line-Derived Neurotrophic Factor
NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester
Nitric Oxide
Nitric Oxide Synthase