#49: Effect of Central Ghrelin Receptor Signaling on Avoidance Behavior in Wistar-Kyoto and Sprague-Dawley Rats — Presentation Detail — Celebration of Scholars

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#49: Effect of Central Ghrelin Receptor Signaling on Avoidance Behavior in Wistar-Kyoto and Sprague-Dawley Rats

Name: Olivia Wolf
Major: Neuroscience and Biology
Hometown: Rochester, IL
Faculty Sponsor:
Other Sponsors:
Type of research: Course project

Name: Cameryn Eickstead
Major: Neuroscience and Psychology
Hometown: South Beloit, IL
Faculty Sponsor:
Other Sponsors:
Type of research: Course project

Abstract

Behavioral inhibition (BI) is believed to be a genetically determined trait which causes individuals to respond to stressful situations differently than their non-behaviorally inhibited (NBI) counterparts. This research has been extended to the rodent population wherein the Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rat models BI anxiety-like behavior, and the Sprague-Dawley (SD) strain serves as a control. We have previously demonstrated that a single overnight fast can enhance avoidance responses in SD rats to the level of avoidance exhibited by WKY rats. Overnight fasting elicits a variety of physiological changes that might directly or indirectly contribute to avoidance and anxiety-like behaviors, including reduced levels of gastric distention, reduced circulating levels of glucose and leptin, and increased circulating levels of ghrelin and corticosterone. Here we sought to investigate potential mechanisms that contribute to the fasting-induced increase in avoidance behavior we observed in SD rats. Since fasting increases circulating levels of the hunger hormone ghrelin, we hypothesized that central ghrelin signaling may contribute to the observed behavioral effect of fasting. We tested this by examining the effect of central ghrelin receptor activation on our signaled lever press avoidance task in female WKY (n = 8) and SD (n = 8) rats. All rats were implanted with cannulas targeting the lateral ventricle (LV) and received intra-LV injections of ghrelin or saline 45 minutes prior to the signaled lever press avoidance session. Ghrelin did not affect avoidance in SD rats. Surprisingly, intra-LV ghrelin significantly reduced avoidance performance in WKY rats, which resulted in a significant increase in the number of shocks that WKY rats received following intra-LV ghrelin relative to saline treatment. These findings suggest that central ghrelin may have an anxiolytic-like effect in WKY rats. Additional studies are necessary to further elucidate mechanisms by which central ghrelin signaling affects mood-related behavior in both NBI and BI models.

Poster file