Dendritic Morphology Of Layer V/vi Pyramidal Cells In The Dlpfc In Pcp-treated Primates
Description
Schizophrenia is a debilitating neurodevelopmental disorder that generates a broad symptomology. These symptoms include positive, negative, and cognitive dysfunctions, and many of these symptoms are well-replicated in animal models. One such model involves sub-chronic administration of phencyclidine (PCP) to non-human primates. The action of PCP results in the blockade of NMDA receptors, leading to glutamatergic dysfunction, which has become a basis for study of schizophrenia-like pathologies. The prefrontal cortex is an area of the brain involved in higher cognitive abilities, such as working memory and executive function. Impairments within the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) have shown to mimic the cognitive symptoms of schizophrenia. The current study investigates the effect of the PCP model on the cells of the dlPFC. Layer V/VI pyramidal neurons of the dlPFC were analyzed in female juvenile, male juvenile, and male adolescent non-human primates after PCP administration. The pyramidal cells from female juvenile monkeys administered PCP did not demonstrate any statistical difference in dendrite morphology compared to age-matched controls (saline-injected). The cells from male juveniles administered PCP contained greater dendritic length in a spatial analysis of the apical arbor relative to controls. Finally, the cells from the male adolescents administered PCP demonstrated reduced dendritic length in certain values in the basal arbor compared to age-matched controls. The apical dendrites of the cells from the male adolescent subjects also had a reduced number of segments, branch points, branch tips, and dendritic length close to the soma. These findings suggest age and gender may affect the cell morphology in the dlPFC in schizophrenia-like pathologies.