Quantitative hippocampal structural changes following elctroconvulsive seizure treatment in a rat model of depression
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Wiley
Abstract
Objective: The pathophysiology of depression and the effects of antidepressant
treatment are hypothesized to be related to hippocampal structural
changes. This study aims to investigate the effect of electroconvulsive seizures on
behavior and hippocampal structure in a rat model of depression. Methods: Flinders
Sensitive Line (FSL) and Flinders Resistant Line (FRL) rats were treated daily for 10
days with either electroconvulsive seizures or sham treatment. The behavior was evaluated
using the forced swim test. Design-based stereological methods were used to
quantify the hippocampal volume and the numbers of neurons and glial cells in specific
hippocampal subregions. Results: The basal level of hippocampal volume and neuron
number differed significantly between the two rat strains, and a trend toward the
FSL strain having more glial cells was found. The structural differences found
between the sham-treated animals were counteracted by electroconvulsive seizure
(ECS) treatment, which also normalized the behavior. ECS treatment increased the
number of glial cells in hilus significantly in the FRL rats and with the same tendency
for the FSL rats. Conclusion: Our results indicate that along with hippocampal neurogenesis,
gliogenesis may also be involved in the pathophysiology of depression and in
the effect of antidepressant treatment. The underlying mechanisms remain unknown,
and further investigations are required to clarify whether the structural changes are
necessary to induce a therapeutic effect of antidepressant treatment or if they rather
represent an epiphenomenon.
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Kaae, S.S. et al. 2012. Quantitative hippocampal structural changes following elctroconvulsive seizure treatment in a rat model of depression. Synapse, 66:667-676. [https://doi.org/10.1002/syn.21553]