Long-Term Biobehavioral Effects of Postnatal Clomipramine Exposure on Serotonergic Systems in a Sprague-Dawley Rat Model of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
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Kosaraju, Harika
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Holder, Mary K.
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Abstract
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a psychiatric disorder characterized by difficulty controlling thoughts and impulses, and it disproportionately affects postpartum women. Current treatments for OCD in adult humans include clomipramine, a tricyclic antidepressant that acts as a serotonin reuptake-inhibitor. However, male rodent models of postnatal clomipramine administration show development of OCD-like behavior in adulthood. Low central serotonin (5-HT) levels are associated with OCD, as 5-HT is crucial for mood stabilization. We investigate the long-term effects of early-life anxiolytic exposure in female rats on postpartum serotonin levels. We predict that administering clomipramine to postnatal female rats causes altered maternal behavior, increased OCD-like behavior, and decreased 5-HT levels in the hippocampal brain region in postpartum adulthood, relative to controls. Decreased adulthood 5-HT levels will provide evidence that drug exposure during a sensitive developmental period results in long-term biobehavioral changes.
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Undergraduate Research Option Thesis