摘要
Studies on social isolation have provided evidence for an enhanced anxiety-like phenotype,depressive-like symptoms and higher levels of 22-kHz ultrasonic vocalizations(USVs);whereas sexual experience could induce significant changes in affective states,decrease anxiety-and depressive-like responses.However,the behavioral and emotional alterations in male rats exposed to isolation after sexual experience remain poorly understood.Therefore,the present study examined anxiety-and depressive-like parameters,as well as USV emissions in male rats isolated for 1,2,or 7 d following 1-week sexual(male-female paired housing)or social(male-male paired housing)interaction.Isolation for 1 d resulted in increased depressive-like symptoms,and 2-d isolation induced elevated anxiety-like behavior in sexually inexperienced rats,while rats with sexual experience exhibited comparable levels of emotionality at each isolation time.Moreover,isolated rats without sexual experience emitted less 22-and 50-kHz USVs,but sexually experienced rats exhibited similar affective states compared with control ones.These results suggested that prior sexual experience could have a modulatory effect on experimental rat emotional responses to isolation.
基金
supported by the National Basic Research Program of China(2009CB941302)
Major Scientific and Technological Special Project for"Significant New Drugs Creation"(2009ZX09501-030)
