Sex Differences in the Ventricular Volumes of MAM E17 Treated Rats: A Developmental Model of Schizophrenia

Presenter(s)

Cassandra Hartsgrove

Abstract or Description

Enlarged ventricles and reduced cortical volume are neuroanatomical abnormalities correlated with schizophrenia and typically more severe in males. The MAM model of schizophrenia is a developmental disruption model that involves exposing animals to a teratogen, methylazoxymethanol acetate (MAM), to reflect the neuroanatomical traits of schizophrenia. Research shows that rodents exposed to MAM on embryonic day 17 (E17) experience a reduction of cortical volume. Measurement of the ventricles can be used to inversely measure the severity of cortical reduction. The circling method was used to measure the lateral ventricles of a sample of 27 rodents; 8 females exposed to MAM, 7 males exposed to MAM, 5 control females, and 7 control males. Significant differences were found in the average ventricular volume between groups, F(3,23)=5.099, p=.007. As predicted, male rodents exposed to MAM had an average ventricular volume that was significantly greater than all other groups and average brain weight that was significantly less than control males, F(3,23)=21.236, p<.001. Reduced brain weight and enlarged ventricles are evidence of reduced cortical volume. These results reflect a similar pattern of ventricular enlargement and cortical reduction that is seen in humans diagnosed with schizophrenia.