SINGLE OUABAIN ADMINISTRATION INDUCES HYPERLOCOMOTION AND INCREASES 3-NT IN RAT HIPPOCAMPUS

Introduction: Bipolar disorder is characterized by mood oscillation, consisting in periods when the individual becomes more depressed or manic. Several findings have shown that individuals with BD present reduced activity of the Na+K+-ATPase, and mutations in the alpha subunit of this enzyme. Ouabain is a pump inhibitor that reduces Na+, K+ -ATPase activity and consequently induces a neuronal hyperexcitability that activates several intracellular cascades that culminate in hyperlocomotion in rats, similar to that occurring in individuals with manic phase of BD. Studies have shown that a single dose of ouabain administered intracerebroventricularly suppresses long- and short-term synaptic plasticity, decreasing neurotrophin levels, increasing dopamine release, inducing oxidative stress, reinforcing the construction validity of this model.