Search results for "exploratory behavior"
showing 10 items of 101 documents
Effects of GABA-transporter (GAT) inhibitors on rat behaviour in open-field and elevated plus-maze.
1999
The behavioural consequences of inhibition of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) uptake were studied. Two GABA uptake inhibitors, tiagabine and SKF 89976-A, were administered to rats, and behaviour was analysed 30 min later in a standard open field, an enriched open field, and an elevated plus-maze. Eight groups of animals received either saline (0.9%), tiagabine, or SKF 89976-A. At a dose of 18.5 mg/kg, tiagabine, an established antiseizure drug, impaired motor coordination, enhanced exploratory activity and reduced anxiety related behaviour. SKF 89976-A exhibited minimal effects over the dose range tested. These results indicate that inhibition of GABA uptake might be a pharmacological strate…
Over-expression of two different forms of the α-secretase ADAM10 affects learning and memory in mice
2006
Members of the ADAM family (adisintegrin and metalloprotease) are the main candidates for physiologically relevant alpha-secretases. The alpha-secretase cleaves in the non-amyloidogenic pathway the amyloid precursor protein within the region of the Abeta peptides preventing their aggregation in the brain. The increase of alpha-secretase activity in the brain provides a plausible strategy to prevent Abeta formation. Concerning this possibility two transgenic mouse lines (FVB/N) have been created: mice over-expressing the bovine form of the alpha-secretase (ADAM10) and mice over-expressing an inactive form of the alpha-secretase (ADAM10-E348A-HA; ADAM10-dn). For behavioral examination a F1 ge…
Long-Term Behavioral Programming Induced by Peripuberty Stress in Rats Is Accompanied by GABAergic-Related Alterations in the Amygdala
2014
Stress during childhood and adolescence is a risk factor for psychopathology. Alterations in γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), the main inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain, have been found following stress exposure and fear experiences and are often implicated in anxiety and mood disorders. Abnormal amygdala functioning has also been detected following stress exposure and is also implicated in anxiety and social disorders. However, the amygdala is not a unitary structure; it includes several nuclei with different functions and little is known on the potential differences the impact of early life stress may have on this system within different amygdaloid nuclei. We aimed here to evaluate pote…
Optogenetically blocking sharp wave ripple events in sleep does not interfere with the formation of stable spatial representation in the CA1 area of …
2016
During hippocampal sharp wave/ripple (SWR) events, previously occurring, sensory inputdriven neuronal firing patterns are replayed. Such replay is thought to be important for plasticity-related processes and consolidation of memory traces. It has previously been shown that the electrical stimulation-induced disruption of SWR events interferes with learning in rodents in different experimental paradigms. On the other hand, the cognitive map theory posits that the plastic changes of the firing of hippocampal place cells constitute the electrophysiological counterpart of the spatial learning, observable at the behavioral level. Therefore, we tested whether intact SWR events occurring during th…
Is there a linkage between metabolism and personality in small mammals? The root vole (Microtus oeconomus) example
2010
Significant inter-individual variation in the rate of animal metabolism is a widespread phenomenon that has started to accumulate general interest. Here we follow recent calls to focus on linkage between the variation in energy metabolism and animal personality. By using wild caught root voles as a study species, we examined the relationship between the behavioral patterns (assessed in open field test) and resting metabolic rate (RMR), both of which are known to show large individual differences and intra-individual consistency in voles. Our results showed only a weak relationship between personality traits and metabolism, since the most parsimonious model (according to AICc) explaining RMR…
Mild systemic inflammation and moderate hypoxia transiently alter neuronal excitability in mouse somatosensory cortex
2016
During the perinatal period, the brain is highly vulnerable to hypoxia and inflammation, which often cause white matter injury and long-term neuronal dysfunction such as motor and cognitive deficits or epileptic seizures. We studied the effects of moderate hypoxia (HYPO), mild systemic inflammation (INFL), or the combination of both (HYPO + INFL) in mouse somatosensory cortex induced during the first postnatal week on network activity and compared it to activity in SHAM control animals. By performing in vitro electrophysiological recordings with multi-electrode arrays from slices prepared directly after injury (P8–10), one week after injury (P13–16), or in young adults (P28–30), we investig…
The effects of morphine on the temporal structure of Wistar rat behavioral response to pain in hot-plate
2016
Rationale: The largest amount of researches on the hot-plate test was carried out using quantitative assessments. However, the evaluation of the relationships among the different elements that compose the behavioral response to pain requires different approaches. Although previous studies have provided clear information on the behavioral structure of the response, no data are available on its temporal structure. Objectives: The objective of this study was to investigate the temporal structure of the behavioral response to pain in Wistar rat tested in hot-plate and how this structure was influenced by morphine-induced analgesia. Methods: The behavior of four groups of subjects tested in hot-…
A standardization of the Novelty-Suppressed Feeding Test protocol in rats
2017
Tests based on hyponeophagia phenomena are the most widely used to check the efficacy and efficiency of new-generation chronic antidepressant treatments. Even so, these tests lack strict consensus about their methodology, which reduces their validity, reproducibility and makes translatability difficult. Therefore, after an extensive literature review on this subject, we propose a methodological protocol for the Novelty-Suppressed Feeding Test to normalize this situation. Animals were induced to a reserpine-induced depression model and were then chronically treated with duloxetine, desvenlafaxine or vehicle. After a 14-day treatment, a standardized Novelty-Suppressed Feeding Test was perform…
The novelty-seeking phenotype modulates the long-lasting effects of intermittent ethanol administration during adolescence.
2013
The aim of the present study was to investigate if a novelty-seeking phenotype mediates the long-lasting consequences of intermittent EtOH intoxication during adolescence. The hole board test was employed to classify adolescent mice as High- or Low-Novelty Seekers. Subsequently, animals were administered ethanol (1.25 or 2.5 g/kg) on two consecutive days at 48-h intervals over a 14-day period. Anxiety levels - measured using the elevated plus maze- spontaneous motor activity and social interaction test were studied 3 weeks later. A different set of mice underwent the same procedure, but received only the 2.5 g/kg dose of ethanol. Three weeks later, in order to induce CPP, the same animals w…
Bupropion induced changes in exploratory and anxiety-like behaviour in NMRI male mice depends on the age
2013
The aim of this study was to assess the effects of the antidepressant bupropion on anxiety and novelty-seeking in adolescent mice of different ages and adults. Behavioural differences between early adolescent, late adolescent and adult NMRI mice were measured both in the elevated plus-maze and the hole-board tasks following acute administration of bupropion (5, 10, 15, 20 mg/kg) or saline. In the plus maze test, early and late adolescent mice treated with bupropion (10, 15 mg/kg, respectively) had lower percentages of entries in the open-arms compared to their vehicle controls. Adult mice treated with bupropion did not differ from their vehicle controls. These results suggest that the effec…