Neurochemical Effects of the Reduction of Social Enrichment on Subcortical Circuitry in a Novel Rat Model

Authors: Krishna Sangamesh Rapelli, Gabriel Bagatell, Deborah Kreiss

Field of Study: Science, Technology, Engineering, and/or Math

Program Affiliation: First-year Research Immersion (FRI)

Faculty Mentors: Deborah Kreiss

Easel: 69

Timeslot: Midday

Abstract: Psychiatric conditions increased in severity and occurrence during the social isolation from COVID-19 lockdowns. This study evaluated the neurochemical effects of a novel rat model of reduction in high social enrichment on the basal ganglia and limbic systems. The present study was conducted in two cohorts, each consisting of male (n=28) and female (n=28) rats exposed to five weeks of high social enrichment. For the four weeks following, experimental rats were deprived of social enrichment, while the control rats continued to experience high social enrichment. Post-mortem tissue samples of the dorsal striatum, ventral striatum, hypothalamus, and amygdala were analyzed for levels of neurochemicals using HPLC. Reduction of enrichment altered neurochemistry in the dorsal and ventral striatum of both sexes, whereas in the hypothalamus and amygdala, only male neurochemistry was altered. A better understanding of social isolation’s neurophysiological consequences can lead to the development of new therapeutic strategies.