Glycine reduces novelty- and methamphetamine-induced locomotor activity in neonatal ventral hippocampal damaged rats

The use of neonatal ventral hippocampal nVH lesioned rats is well established in animal models of schizophrenia. Moreover, the dysfunction of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) neurotransmission may play a crucial role in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. To examine the effect of glycine (GLY) in this animal model, we compared the effects of GLY (0.8 and 1.6 g/kg, IP) on locomotor activity induced by a novel environment (NOVEL) and methamphetamine (MAP, 1.5 mg/kg, IF) in lesioned and sham-operated rats. Compared with sham rats, GLY significantly reduced NOVEL- and MAP-induced locomotor activity in lesioned mts (p < .001 and p < .05, respectively). It is suggested that GLY attenuated nVH-induced hyperactivity, and that this effect was evident both in the presence and absence of MAP. The nVH lesions may result in a form of hyperactivity that differs from normal locomotion in the degree to which it is highly sensitive to regulation by GLY. (C) 2001 American College of Neuropsychopharmacology. Published by Elsevier Science Inc.