Conclusions
These data suggest that social experience can have profound effects on the neuronal mechanisms mediating aggression, especially in males, and that δ extrasynaptic GABAA receptors may be an important therapeutic target in disorders characterized by high levels of aggression.
Results
Activation of GABAA receptors in the dorsal lateral septum increased aggression in both males and females. Social housing, however, significantly decreased the ability of GABAA receptor activation to induce aggression in males but not females. No significant differences were observed in the effects of GABAA receptor activation in dominant versus subordinate group-housed hamsters. Finally, examination of potential GABAA receptor subtype specificity revealed that social housing decreased the ratio of δ extrasynaptic to γ2 synaptic subunit GABAA receptor mRNA expression in the anterior dorsal lateral septum, while activation of δ extrasynaptic, but not γ2 synaptic, GABAA receptors in the dorsal lateral septum increased aggression. Conclusions: These data suggest that social experience can have profound effects on the neuronal mechanisms mediating aggression, especially in males, and that δ extrasynaptic GABAA receptors may be an important therapeutic target in disorders characterized by high levels of aggression.