Experimental heart failure causes depression-like behavior together with differential regulation of inflammatory and structural genes in the brain.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Depression and anxiety are common and independent outcome predictors in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF). However, it is unclear whether CHF causes depression. Thus, we investigated whether mice develop anxiety- and depression-like behavior after induction of ischemic CHF by myocardial infarction (MI).

Methods and results

In order to assess depression-like behavior, anhedonia was investigated by repeatedly testing sucrose preference for 8 weeks after coronary artery ligation or sham operation. Mice with large MI and increased left ventricular dimensions on echocardiography (termed CHF mice) showed reduced preference for sucrose, indicating depression-like behavior. 6 weeks after MI, mice were tested for exploratory activity, anxiety-like behavior and cogn

SUBMITTER: Frey A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4215623 | biostudies-literature | 2014

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature