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Changes in 5-HT1 receptors in different brain structures of rats with isolation syndrome
1Institute of Physiology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia.
Abstract:
1. Prolonged (3 month) individual housing of Wistar rats produced aggressive muricidal behavior in 28% of the animals. 2. Binding studies with [3H]5-HT showed that the affinity (Kd) of 5-HT1 receptors in the frontal cortex, striatum, hippocampus and hypothalamus of isolated aggressive rats was significantly decreased as compared to that in grouped rats. 3. The affinity of 5-HT1 receptors was also significantly decreased in the striatum, hippocampus and hypothalamus of isolated nonaggressive rats. 4. The number (Bmax) of 5-HT1 receptors was significantly decreased in the hippocampus and hypothalamus of isolated aggressive rats and in isolated nonaggressive rats it was decreased only in the hypothalamus. 5. The data suggest that aggressive muricidal behavior in rats with syndrome of social isolation is connected with the decreased activity of brain 5-HT1 receptors.