@article{ref1,
title="Beneficial effects of chronic oxytocin administration and social co-housing in a rodent model of post-traumatic stress disorder",
journal="Behavioural pharmacology",
year="2016",
author="Janezic, Eric M. and Uppalapati, Swetha and Nagl, Stephanie and Contreras, Marco and French, Edward D. and Fellous, Jean-Marc",
volume="27",
number="8",
pages="704-717",
abstract="Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is in part due to a deficit in memory consolidation and extinction. Oxytocin (OXT) has anxiolytic effects and promotes prosocial behaviors in both rodents and humans, and evidence suggests that it plays a role in memory consolidation. We studied the effects of administered OXT and social co-housing in a rodent model of PTSD. Acute OXT yielded a short-term increase in the recall of the traumatic memory if administered immediately after trauma. Low doses of OXT delivered chronically had a cumulating anxiolytic effect that became apparent after 4 days and persisted. Repeated injections of OXT after short re-exposures to the trauma apparatus yielded a long-term reduction in anxiety. Co-housing with naive nonshocked animals decreased the memory of the traumatic context compared with single-housed animals. In the long term, these animals showed less thigmotaxis and increased interest in novel objects, and a low OXT plasma level. Co-housed PTSD animals showed an increase in risk-taking behavior. These results suggest beneficial effects of OXT if administered chronically through increases in memory consolidation after re-exposure to a safe trauma context. We also show differences between the benefits of social co-housing with naive rats and co-housing with other shocked animals on trauma-induced long-term anxiety.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0955-8810",
doi="10.1097/FBP.0000000000000270",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/FBP.0000000000000270"
}