Repeated experience of social defeats increases serotonin transporter and monoamine oxidase A mRNA levels in raphe nuclei of male mice.

Author: Maxim L Filipenko; Alexandra G Beilina; Olga V Alekseyenko; Vadim V Dolgov; Natalia N Kudryavtseva

Author Affiliation: Eukariotic Genes Expression Research Group, Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Siberian Department of the Russian Academy of Science, Lavrentjev Avenue 8, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia. max@niboch.nsc.ru

Keywords: Acute Disease; Agonistic Behavior - physiology; Animals; Behavior, Animal - physiology; Carrier Proteins - genetics; Chronic Disease; Comparative Study; Depression - enzymology - physiopathology; Male; Membrane Glycoproteins - genetics; Membrane Transport Proteins; Mice; Mice, Inbred CBA; Monoamine Oxidase - genetics; Nerve Tissue Proteins; Neurons - enzymology; RNA, Messenger - metabolism; Raphe Nuclei - enzymology; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; Serotonin - metabolism; Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins; Stress - enzymology - physiopathology; Up-Regulation - physiology

Abstract: Serotonin transporter (SERT) and monoamine oxidase A (MAOA) mRNA levels in the raphe nuclei area of the midbrain were measured by the multiplex reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction method in male mice with repeated experience of social victories (winners) and defeats (losers) in ten daily agonistic confrontations. Experiments revealed enhanced SERT and MAOA mRNA levels in the losers compared with the winners and controls. It has been supposed that SERT and MAOA genes are involved in enhancement of serotonin inactivation in response to the increase of serotonergic activity shown earlier in the losers. A positive correlation between MAOA and SERT mRNA levels in the raphe nuclei area of the midbrain was shown.