Tyrosine hydroxylase immunoreactive fibers in the upper layers of the adolescent rat medial prefrontal cortex

Adolescence is an important period of maturation for the brain. In particular, the medial prefrontal cortex continues developing throughout adolescence and is responsible for a number of executive and cognitive functions. Innervation of the medial prefrontal cortex by the dopaminergic system contributes to some of these maturing behaviors and the dopaminergic system is implicated in mental illnesses. However, much previous work on medial prefrontal cortex development over adolescence has considered only one sex or has failed to capture timing of changes. Here, the development of tyrosine hydroxylase-immunoreactive axons, to indicate dopaminergic innervation, in the upper layers of the medial prefrontal cortex was examined in both sexes of Long-Evans rats during five ages from postnatal day 25 to 90. Tyrosine hydroxylase-immunoreactive axon density was found to increase over the course of adolescence, with the most marked increases being prepubertal in both males and females. No sex differences were identified. These results suggest a similar development, and thus similar susceptibility to disruption, of the dopaminergic system in the rat medial prefrontal cortex in both sexes.

Name thesis:degree_name

M.S.

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Biology

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2015

Author dc:creator

• Brodsky, Joseph Michael

• Adolescence
• Dopamine
• prefrontal cortex
• Rat
• Sex Differences

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 2015 Joseph Brodsky

Language dc:language

en

Handle dc:identifier

http://hdl.handle.net/2142/78531

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/78531