A two-hit model of suicide-trait-related behaviors in the context of a schizophrenia-like phenotype: Distinct effects of lithium chloride and clozapine
Abstract
Schizophrenia patients show a high rate of premature mortality due to suicide. The pathophysiological mechanisms of these suicidal behaviors in schizophrenia do not appear to involve serotonergic neurotransmission as found in the general population. Our aim was to develop an in vivo model of schizophrenia presenting suicide-trait-related behaviors such as aggressiveness, impulsivity, anxiety and helplessness. We opted for a two-hit model: C57BL/6 dams were injected with polyI:C on gestational day 12. The pups were submitted to social isolation for 4weeks after weaning. During the last week of social isolation and 30min before behavioral testing, the mice received vehicle, lithium chloride or clozapine. Lithium chloride is well known for its suicide preventive effects in the non-schizophrenic population, while clozapine is the antipsychotic with the best-established suicide preventive effect. The two-hit model induced several schizophrenia-related and suicide-trait-related behaviors in male, but not female, mice. Additionally, lithium chloride improved prepulse inhibition, aggressiveness, impulsivity and anxiety-like behavior in socially isolated mice only, whereas clozapine prevented behavioral abnormalities mainly in mice pren...Continue Reading
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