Abstract

It has been demonstrated that postweaning social isolation alters dendritic development in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) of the rat. In addition, (-)-deprenyl, a monoamine oxidase B (MAO-B) inhibitor, promotes dendritic growth in prefrontocortical pyramidal cells. This study examined whether prefrontocortical dendritic developmental impairment induced by postweaning social isolation is attenuated by chronic (-)-deprenyl administration. Weanling Sprague-Dawley male rats were randomly reared in social and isolated environments between postnatal days 21 and 51 (P21-P51). At P52, half of the animals were behaviorally evaluated in the open-field test and sacrificed for histological analysis. The remaining isolated rats were subdivided into saline- and daily (-)-deprenyl-treated animals for 30 additional days (P52-P82). Socially-reared rats remained undisturbed except for daily saline administration. At P82, all animals were behaviorally evaluated and sacrificed for histological analysis. Dendritic quantification of the Golgi-Cox-Sholl- stained neurons indicated that chronic (-)-deprenyl administration partially compensated the dendritic growth impairment induced by social isolation. In addition, both isolated-saline- and (-)-deprenyl-treated rats showed a sustained locomotor hyperactivity in the open-field test. Copyright © 2006 S. Karger AG, Basel.