Dopaminergic hypofunctions and prepulse inhibition deficits in mice lacking midkine

Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry. 2009 Apr 30;33(3):541-6. doi: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2009.02.005. Epub 2009 Feb 13.

Abstract

Midkine is a 13-kDa retinoic acid-induced heparin-binding growth factor involved in various biological phenomena such as cell migration, neurogenesis, and tissue repair. We previously demonstrated that midkine-deficient (Mdk(-/-)) mice exhibited a delayed hippocampal development with impaired working memory and increased anxiety only at the age of 4 weeks. To assess whether midkine gene could play important roles in development and maintenance of central nervous system, we investigated biochemical and behavioral parameters in dopamine and glutamate neurotransmission of Mdk(-/-) mice. The Mdk(-/-) mice exhibited a hypodopaminergic state (i.e., decreased levels of dopamine and its receptors in the striatum) with no alterations of glutamatergic system (i.e., normal level of glutamate, glutamine, glycine, d-serine, l-serine, and NMDA receptors in the frontal cortex and hippocampus). We also found prepulse inhibition deficits reversed by clozapine and haloperidol in the Mdk(-/-) mice. Our results suggested that midkine deficiency may be related to neurochemical and behavioral dysfunctions in dopaminergic system.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Acoustic Stimulation / methods
  • Analysis of Variance
  • Animals
  • Behavior, Animal / drug effects
  • Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid / methods
  • Cytokines / deficiency*
  • Dopamine / metabolism*
  • Dopamine Antagonists / metabolism
  • Dopamine Antagonists / pharmacology
  • Dopamine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins / metabolism
  • Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
  • Exploratory Behavior / physiology
  • Interpersonal Relations
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL / metabolism
  • Mice, Inbred DBA / metabolism
  • Mice, Knockout
  • Midkine
  • Motor Activity / drug effects
  • Motor Activity / genetics
  • Neural Inhibition / drug effects
  • Neural Inhibition / genetics*
  • Protein Binding / drug effects
  • Protein Binding / genetics
  • Radioligand Assay / methods
  • Receptors, Dopamine D1 / metabolism
  • Receptors, Dopamine D2 / metabolism
  • Reflex, Startle / drug effects
  • Reflex, Startle / genetics*
  • Tritium / metabolism

Substances

  • Cytokines
  • Dopamine Antagonists
  • Dopamine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins
  • Receptors, Dopamine D1
  • Receptors, Dopamine D2
  • Tritium
  • Midkine
  • Dopamine