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Sex-Specific Behavioural Deficits in Adulthood following Acute Activation of the GABA<sub>A</sub> Receptor in the Neonatal Mouse

Goikolea-Vives, Ane; Fernandes, Cathy; Thomas, Michael S.C.; Thornton, Claire; Stolp, Helen B.

Authors

Ane Goikolea-Vives

Cathy Fernandes

Michael S.C. Thomas

Claire Thornton

Helen B. Stolp



Abstract

Introduction: Sex differences exist in the prevalence of neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs). Part of the aetiology of NDDs has been proposed to be alterations in the balance between excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmission, leading to the question of whether males and females respond differently to altered neurotransmitter balance. We investigated whether pharmacological alteration of GABAA signalling in early development results in sex-dependent changes in adult behaviours associated with NDDs.

Methods: Male and female C57BL/6J mice received intraperitoneal injections of 0.5mg/kg muscimol or saline on postnatal days (P) 3-5 and were subjected to behavioural testing, specifically open field, light dark box, marble burying, sucralose preference, social interaction and olfactory habituation/dishabituation tests between P60-90.

Results: Early postnatal administration of muscimol resulted in reduced anxiety in the light dark box test in both male and female adult mice. Muscimol reduced sucralose preference in males, but not females, whereas female mice showed reduced social behaviours. Regional alterations in cortical thickness were observed in the weeks following GABAA receptor activation, pointing to an evolving structural difference in the brain underlying adult behaviour.

Conclusions: We conclude that activation of the GABAA receptor in the first week of life resulted in long-lasting changes in a range of behaviours in adulthood following altered neurodevelopment. Sex of the individual affected the nature and severity of these abnormalities, explaining part of the varied pathophysiology and neurodevelopmental diagnosis that derive from excitatory/inhibitory imbalance.

Citation

Goikolea-Vives, A., Fernandes, C., Thomas, M. S., Thornton, C., & Stolp, H. B. (in press). Sex-Specific Behavioural Deficits in Adulthood following Acute Activation of the GABAA Receptor in the Neonatal Mouse. Developmental Neuroscience, 1-15. https://doi.org/10.1159/000536641

Journal Article Type Article
Acceptance Date Jan 26, 2024
Online Publication Date Feb 7, 2024
Deposit Date May 3, 2024
Publicly Available Date May 3, 2024
Journal Developmental Neuroscience
Print ISSN 0378-5866
Electronic ISSN 1421-9859
Publisher Karger Publishers
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Pages 1-15
DOI https://doi.org/10.1159/000536641

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