Our model of moderate thoracic contusion injury in female rats was designed to assess possible sex differences in expression of depressive phenotype using a behavioral battery of assessments, because all previous reports of post-SCI depression have been based on male rodents
Our model of moderate thoracic contusion injury in female rats was designed to assess possible sex differences in expression of depressive phenotype using a behavioral battery of assessments, because all previous reports of post-SCI depression have been based on male rodents.7,32,33 We tested for increased TNF in various brain regions that might be correlated with affective disorders such as depression. in the forced swim test. We then tested the efficacy of soluble TNF inhibition with XPro1595 treatment to prevent the depressive phenotype after SCI. Subcutaneous (s.c.) delivery of XPro1595 caused an exacerbation of depressive phenotype, with all treated clusters exhibiting increased forced swim immobility compared with saline-treated non-depressed rats. Intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) administration of the drug did not prevent or enhance the development of depressive disorder after injury. These results suggest…