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Electrophysiological Activity in Brain Reward Circuit Predicts Estrous Cycle and Sex in Rats

AJAS · 2018

Ethan Adner · Hanover High School, Hanover, NH

Overview

Levels of alcohol consumption vary across the menstrual cycle in women and across the estrous cycle in female rats. Consumption also varies across sexes. In this study, we evaluated the differences in drinking behavior, sex, and electrophysiological features of the corticostriatal circuit across the estrous cycle and between sexes in rats. We hypothesized that 1) female rats would drink more alcohol during diestrus compared to estrus, 2) that there would be significant differences in activity in the corticostriatal circuit between stages of estrous, and 3) that there would be significant differences in corticostriatal circuit activity between male and female rats. Female Sprague-Dawley rats (N=16) were implanted with bilateral recording electrodes in the nucleus accumbens shell (NAcSh) and the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). Following recovery, local field potentials (LFPs) were recorded during rest epochs to measure changes in corticostriatal activity during the phases of diestrus (N=16) and estrus (N=10). Male rats (N=10) were also implanted with recording electrodes in the same areas. Following recovery, LFPs were recorded during rest epochs. After electrophysiological recordings, animals were trained to drink alcohol (10% ethanol) in a limited access paradigm during different phases of the estrous cycle. Data from drinking behavior (amount of alcohol consumed) was collected from female and male rats after determining the phase of estrous using vaginal lavage. As predicted, alcohol consumption for females was highest in diestrus and lowest in estrus. For males, alcohol consumption was closer to the female estrus than diestrus. Confirming our second and third hypotheses, a machine learning algorithm was able to build a model, based on electrophysiological data, and successfully predict whether the phase of estrous was diestrus and whether the sex of the rat was male or female. This result provides data supporting the hypothesis that there are electrophysiological differences in the activity of the corticostriatal circuit between male and female rats as well as across the phases of the estrous cycle. Ongoing research aims to determine if there is a causal link between hormonally induced changes in corticostriatal circuit activity and alcohol consumption.

Competition history

  • AJAS 2018 Category not listed

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Source: AAAS Annual Meeting (Confex) / American Junior Academy of Science

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