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The Pharmacological Intervention of Quipazine on Traumatic-Stress Reactivity and Ethanol Consumption in Femail Sprague-Dawley Rats

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Author(s)
Salisbury, Joshua
Date Issued
May 10, 2025
Abstract
Individuals exposed to traumatic events, such as motor vehicle accidents, physical or sexual abuse, or witnessing the death of an individual face the likelihood of developing post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In those who develop PTSD, these individuals also face an increased likelihood of developing a comorbid psychiatric condition, such as alcohol use disorder (AUD), both of which have been correlated to dysfunctions within the serotonin system. Psychedelic therapies have shown to improve symptomatology of both AUD and PTSD through manipulations of the serotonergic system, but no studies have investigated the simultaneous treatment of both PTSD and AUD. The present study attempted to investigate the treatment of quipazine, a serotonin-3 receptor (5-HT3R) agonist, in an animal model of comorbid PTSD and AUD by conditioning animals to predator odor (PO) stress to evaluate PO-stress related behavior, and allowing animals to undergo binge-drinking sessions for three weeks (15 drinking days) following PO exposure to determine the effects of PO stress on ethanol consumption and preference. Animals were then treated with subchronic injections of quipazine (5 mg/kg, i.p.) during the last three drinking sessions, and were re-exposed to the context in which PO conditioning occurred to determine the effects of quipazine on PO-stress related behaviors. Results indicated that no significant findings of quipazine treatment on PO-stress related behaviors, alcohol consumption and preference, PO-stress related behaviors upon exposure, or locomotor activity within animals. Very little research has been published about the use of quipazine as a means of therapy for either AUD or PTSD. Several limitations existed during the conduction of this study, and future research should focus on the establishment of PTSD-like symptoms within their animals to elicit the appropriate behavior within their studies.
Major
Neuroscience
Psychology
First Reader(s)
Bertholomey, Megan
Other Reader(s)
Blair, Shelby
Department
Psychology
Type of Publication
Senior Project Paper
File(s)
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Salisbury Senior Comp Final Draft (2).pdf

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2.94 MB

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Adobe PDF

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