Altered arginine metabolism in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex of maternal immune activation rat offspring

作者：Jing, Yu; Zhang, Hu; Wolff, Amy R.; Bilkey, David K.; Liu, Ping^*

来源：Schizophrenia Research, 2013, 148(1-3): 151-156.

DOI：10.1016/j.schres.2013.06.001

• Schizophrenia
• L-arginine
• L-ornithine
• Agmatine
• Putrescine
• Hippocampus
• Prefrontal cortex

Altered arginine metabolism has been implicated in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia. The present study measured the levels of L-arginine and its downstream metabolites in the sub-regions of the hippocampus, prefrontal cortex and cerebellum in adult rats that had been exposed to maternal immune activation (MIA; a risk factor for schizophrenia). MIA significantly increased L-arginine, L-ornithine and putrescine levels and decreased agmatine levels in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex in a region-specific manner. Correlational analysis revealed a significant neurochemical-behavioural correlation. Cluster analyses showed that L-arginine and its main metabolites formed distinct groups, which changed as a function of MIA. These results demonstrate, for the first time, that MIA leads to altered arginine metabolismin the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex of the adult offspring.

• 出版日期2013-8