The levels of monoamines and their metabolites in brain structures of adult (3-month-old) rats with emotional and motivational disorders induced by inhibitors of dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP-4; EC 3.4.14.5) diprotin A and sitagliptin on weeks 2-3 of postnatal development (postnatal days 5-18) were studied by HPLC with electrochemical detection. A significant decrease in the level of serotonin metabolite, 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid, and a pronounced tendency towards reduced serotonin level were detected in the striatum of rats in both study groups. In adult rats treated with diprotin A during the neonatal period, a tendency towards activation of dopamine metabolism was observed (judging from DOPAC/DA ratio). The levels of monoamines and their metabolites in the frontal cortex, hypothalamus, and amygdala remained unchanged. The findings suggest that administration of DPP-4 inhibitors during the neonatal period induces long-term dysfunction of the serotonergic and dopaminergic systems of the brain.
Background: Previous studies have shown the development of emotional and motivational disorders, such as anxiety-depression-like disorders with increased aggression in adolescent and adult Wistar rats, occurs after neonatal exposure to the dipeptidyl peptidase-IV (DPP-IV, EC 3.4.14.5) inhibitors diprotin A and sitagliptin (postnatal days 5–18). Methods: In this study, using real-time PCR, we evaluated changes in the gene expression of serine protease DPP-IV and prolyl endopeptidase (PREP, EC 3.4.21.26; dpp4 and prep genes), monoamine oxidase А (maoA) and B (maoB), and serotonin transporter (SERT; sert) in the brain structures from 3-month-old rats after postnatal action of DPP-IV inhibitors diprotin A and sitagliptin. Results: Dpp4, sert, and maoB gene expression increased and maoA gene expression changed with a tendency to increase in the striatum of rats with neonatal sitagliptin action. The increase of maoA gene expression was also shown in the amygdala. An increase in prep gene expression was found in the striatum of rats with the neonatal action of diprotin A, and a decrease in maoB gene expression was observed in the amygdala. We detected a significant downward trend in sert gene expression in the frontal cortex and amygdala, as well as a tendency to increase in maoA gene expression in the hypothalamus. Discussion: These findings suggest that changes in the expression of the abovementioned genes are associated with the development of anxiety and depression, with increased aggression caused by the neonatal action of diprotin A and sitagliptin.
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