Cerebrolysin Induces Dendritic Tree Plastic Changes and BDNF Increase in the Amygdala of Male Rats with Maternal Deprivation

Abstract

Several psychopathologies may be triggered, among other factors, by stress or trauma in childhood. The maternal deprivation model (MD) replicates some of the core factors that may induce the onset of different psychopathologies like structural and plasticity defects. Among other brain regions, the amygdala is susceptible to stress and trauma and plays a key role in integrating social behavior. Several molecules, such as Cerebrolysin^® (CBL), have been used to treat different symptoms by reversing the underlying neurobiological plasticity-related changes. In this study, maternal deprivation (MD) was conducted on 9-day-old male Sprague-Dawley rats (n = 28; 7 rats per group: Intact, Intact + CBL, MD, and MD + CBL). At 25 postnatal days (PND), CBL treatment was administered for 10 consecutive days, and social behavior was evaluated in a three-chamber social test at 35 PND. Moreover, Sholl analysis and immunohistochemistry were carried out for dendritic intersection and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) presence in the amygdala, respectively. CBL treatment had an augmentative effect on intact animals in terms of social behavior and incidences, but no differences between MD and CBL-treated animals. Moreover, dendritic intersections and BDNF decreased after the MD protocol but increased by CBL treatment in MD animals. Our results show that CBL could be part of the treatment in case of a traumatic or stressful event in neurodevelopment, especially in the youth age. According to this preclinical study, CBL could help reverse symptoms of different psychopathologies caused by stress or trauma, with neurobiological changes underlying its effect.