Serotonin levels in the dorsal raphe nuclei of both chipmunks and mice are enhanced by long photoperiod, but brain dopamine level response to photoperiod is species-specific

Neuroscience Letters
Ryosei GodaShinobu Yasuo

Abstract

Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a subtype of major depressive or bipolar disorders associated with the shortened photoperiod in winter. This depressive disorder is integrally tied to the seasonal regulation of the brain's serotonergic system. Recently, we found that C57BL/6J mice subjected to a forced-swim test exhibited immobility, a photoperiod-dependent depression-associated behavior, and suppression of brain serotonin levels. However, mice are nocturnal animals, and it is unclear whether the brain serotonergic system responds similarly to photoperiod in nocturnal and diurnal species. This study compared the responses of brain serotonergic and dopaminergic systems to photoperiod in diurnal chipmunks and nocturnal C57BL/6J mice. In both species, serotonin levels in the dorsal raphe nuclei were higher under long-day conditions than short-day conditions, suggesting a similarity in the photoperiod responses of the serotonergic systems. However, photoperiod affected dopamine levels in various brain regions differently in the two species. Some chipmunk brain regions exhibited stronger photoperiod-induced changes in dopamine levels than those of C57BL/6J mice, and the direction of the changes in the hypothalamus was opposite. ...Continue Reading

References

Nov 1, 1990·Journal of Neurochemistry·D D WoodM A Moscarello
Jan 1, 1991·Journal of Neural Transmission. General Section·D A Oren
Feb 29, 2000·Neuropsychopharmacology : Official Publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology·K B ZajicekJ D Higley
Dec 26, 2001·Archives of General Psychiatry·T A WehrN E Rosenthal
Sep 21, 2007·Neuropsychopharmacology : Official Publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology·Matthäus WilleitErnst A Singer
Sep 3, 2008·Archives of General Psychiatry·Nicole Praschak-RiederJeffrey H Meyer
Sep 17, 2009·Journal of Comparative Physiology. B, Biochemical, Systemic, and Environmental Physiology·Danielle L Levesque, Glenn J Tattersall
Nov 3, 2010·Nutritional Neuroscience·Carolina Peixoto MagalhãesRaul Manhães de Castro
Mar 16, 2013·Histochemistry and Cell Biology·Esther AsanKlaus-Peter Lesch
Apr 30, 2015·The Journal of Neuropsychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences·Jeremy CoplanAntonio Bulbena

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Citations

May 26, 2016·Chronobiology International·Caroline Luísa QuilesMaria Paz Loayza Hidalgo
Jul 28, 2016·Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience·Danilo E F L FlôresShin Yamazaki

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Related Concepts

Related Feeds

Amygdala and Midbrain Dopamine

The midbrain dopamine system is widely studied for its involvement in emotional and motivational behavior. Some of these neurons receive information from the amygdala and project throughout the cortex. When the circuit and transmission of dopamine is disrupted symptoms may present. Here is the latest research on the amygdala and midbrain dopamine.

Amygdala: Sensory Processes

Amygdalae, nuclei clusters located in the temporal lobe of the brain, play a role in memory, emotional responses, and decision-making. Here is the latest research on sensory processes in the amygdala.

Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar disorder is characterized by manic and/or depressive episodes and associated with uncommon shifts in mood, activity levels, and energy. Discover the latest research this illness here.

Basal Ganglia

Basal Ganglia are a group of subcortical nuclei in the brain associated with control of voluntary motor movements, procedural and habit learning, emotion, and cognition. Here is the latest research.