Effects of intracerebroventricular injection of 7-nitroindazole on depression-like behaviors and nNOS expression in hippocampal of rats / 中华行为医学与脑科学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To evaluate the effect of intracerebroventricular injection of 7-nitroindazole (7-NI) on the depression-like behaviors in normal rats.Methods According to body weights,48 SD rats were randomly divided into normal group,model group,sham-operation group and 7-NI groups at different concentrations (n=8).The model group was treated with chronic and unpredictable mild stress.The 7-NI groups received intracerebroventricular injection with 7-NI solutions at different concentrations,once every 3 days for 3 times in total.The sham-operation group was injected with DMSO of the same volume.The rat behaviors were then subjected to the open field test (OFT).The hippocampal nNOS protein levels were detected by Western blot.Results Compared with the normal group((132.47±31.72) m),the total movement distances of model group ((15.04±8.61) m) and 200 nmol/0.5 μl surgery group((18.18± 11.82) m) decreased significantly (P＜ 0.05).Compared with the model group,such distances of sham-operation group ((107.33±20.35)m) and 7-NI groups(50 nmol/0.5 μl:(138.40±56.85)m,(86.97±36.20)m);100 nmol/0.5 μl:(86.97±36.20)m) increased significantly (P＜ 0.05).The normal group entered the central area significantly more times(2.25±2.05) than model group (0.25±0.46)and 200nmol/0.5μl 7-NI group (0.25± 0.46) did (P＜0.05),and the number of times entering the central area of the model group (0.25±0.46)was significantly lower than that of the sham-operation group (1.00 ± 1.07,P＜ 0.05) and 50 nmol/0.5 μl group (0.75 ± 1.16).Compared with the normal group ((46.53 ±41.16) s),the durations of stay in the central area of model group ((1.27 ± 1.92) s) and 200 nmol/0.5 μl 7-NI group ((1.53 ± 2.90) s) were shortened significantly (P＜0.05).Compared with the model group,the durations of stay in the central area of 100 nmol/0.5μl group ((36.54±67.80) s) was lengthened significantly (P＜ 0.05).Western blotting showed that the hippocampal nNOS protein levels of model group (0.43±0.11) and 200 nmol/0.5μl 7-NI group(0.56±0.08) significantly exceeded that of the normal group (0.04±0.02,P＜0.05).The levels of nNOS in sham-operation group (0.04 ±0.02) and 50 nmol/0.5 μl 7-NI group (0.22± 0.08),which were significantly lower than that of the model group (0.43 ± 0.11,P＜ 0.05),were similar to that of the normal group (0.04 ± 0.02,P＞ 0.05).Conclusion Intracerebroventricular injection 200 nmol/0.5 μl 7-NI solution results in depression-like behaviors and increased the expression of nNOS protein reflexively in rats.