Association between estrus cycle-related changes in respiration and estrus cycle-related aggression in outbred female Wistar rats.

Premenstrual dysphoric disorder is characterized by irritability surfacing during the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle, and disappearing shortly after the onset of menstruation. Although the cardinal symptoms of premenstrual dysphoria are different from those of panic disorder, the two conditions share a number of traits indicating that they both may be associated with abnormalities in the regulation of respiration. Both subjects with panic disorder and subjects with premenstrual dysphoria are hence reported to display enhanced respiratory variability, and to experience anxiety when exposed to CO(2). In the present study, the possible influence of the estrus cycle on respiratory parameters in outbred female rats of the Wistar strain was investigated. Before being tested with respect to respiration, the rats were subdivided into two groups: those displaying estrus cycle-related variation in aggression, as evaluated using the resident intruder paradigm, and those not showing aggression throughout the cycle. Whereas the former group was found to display higher respiratory rate during the diestrus phase than during the proestrus/estrus phase, no cycle-related variation in respiration was observed in animals not showing cycle-related variation in aggression. The results support previous studies indicating that the estrus cycle exerts an influence on respiration, and suggest that rats prone to cycle-related aggression are more sensitive also to the influence of hormonal cyclicity on respiration. The possible bearing of these findings for the aberration in respiration displayed by subjects with premenstrual dysphoria is discussed.