0-TESTO COMPLETO.pdf - Fondazione Santa Lucia

Sezione III: Attività per progetti
A different group of cntr (n=10), m-HPA (n=10), m-PKU (n=10) and
c-PKU (n=10) mice will be treated with 5-HTP (20 mg/kg i.p., twice to day).
Behavioural Testing – All mice will be submitted to behavioural tests to evaluate
motor (Open Field Test, Rotarod Test and Grooming activity), cognitive
(Object Recognition Test, Spatial Novelty Test, Spontaneous Alternation
Test, Morris Water Maze using modifications of the basic protocol) and
emotional (Porsolt’s Test) performances. Experimental procedures are previously
reported [Cabib et al. 2003; Vorhees and Williams 2006; Ventura et al.
2001].
Neurochemical assay – In vivo microdialysis. DA, NE and 5-HT cortical release
detection. Briefly, mice will be anesthetized with chloral hydrate, mounted in
a stereotaxic frame and implanted unilaterally with a guide cannula fixed
with epoxy glue and dental cement into the pFC (AP, +2.8; L, 0.6; according to
the atlas of Franklin and Paxinos, 1998). The probe (length of 2 mm) will be
introduced 24 h before microdialysis experiments. The day of experiments,
each animal will be transferred to a Plexiglas cylinder provided with microdialysis
equipment. Dialysis perfusion will start 1 h later, and then mice were
left undisturbed for »2 h before the collection of baseline samples. Dialysate
will be collected every 20 min. The mean concentration of the three samples
collected immediately before treatment (