scholarly journals Attachment Insecurity in Rats Subjected to Maternal Separation and Early Weaning: Sex Differences

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Haiyan Zeng ◽  
Zijia Yu ◽  
Qingjun Huang ◽  
Haiyun Xu
Keyword(s):  
Social Interaction ◽  
Open Field ◽  
Maternal Separation ◽  
Elevated Plus Maze ◽  
Central Zone ◽  
Attachment Anxiety ◽  
Early Weaning ◽  
Attachment Insecurity ◽  
Plus Maze ◽  
Field Rodents

Attachment insecurity in the forms of attachment anxiety and avoidance is associated with mental disorders in humans. In this research field, rodents, especially mice and rats, are commonly used to study social behaviors and underlying biological mechanisms due to their pronounced sociability. However, quantitative assessment of attachment security/insecurity in rodents has been a major challenge. The present study identified attachment insecurity behaviors in rats subjected to maternal separation (MS) during postnatal days (PD) 2–16 and early weaning (EW) during PD 17–21. This MSEW procedure has been used to mimic early life neglect in humans. After MSEW, rats continued to survive until early adulthood when they were subjected to open-field, social interaction, and elevated-plus maze tests. Compared to CNT rats in either gender, MSEW rats moved longer distances at higher velocities in the open-field. The MSEW rats also showed lower ratios of travel distance at central zone over that on whole arena of the open-field compared to CNT rats. In social interaction test, male CNT rats preferred to investigate an empty cage than females; whereas female CNT rats spent more time with a partner-containing cage as compared to males. This gender-specific difference was reversed in MSEW rats. On elevated-plus maze female CNT rats exhibited more risk-taking behaviors as compared to male counterparts. Moreover, female MSEW rats experienced a greater difficulty in making a decision on whether approaching to or averting from which arms of elevated-plus maze. Taken together, male MSEW rats behaved like attachment anxiety while females’ phenotype is alike to attachment avoidance described in humans. These results shall prompt further application of MSEW rat in abnormal psychology and biological psychiatry research.

scholarly journals Engaging in paced mating, but neither exploratory, anti-anxiety, nor social behavior, increases 5α-reduced progestin concentrations in midbrain, hippocampus, striatum, and cortex

Reproduction ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 133 (3) ◽  
pp. 663-674 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cheryl A Frye ◽  
Jason J Paris ◽  
Madeline E Rhodes
Keyword(s):  
Social Interaction ◽  
Social Behavior ◽  
Open Field ◽  
Elevated Plus Maze ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Female Rats ◽  
Partner Preference ◽  
Reproductive Behaviors ◽  
Plus Maze ◽  
17Β Estradiol

Sequential actions of 17β-estradiol (E2) and progesterone (P4) in the hypothalamus and the P4 metabolite, 5α-pregnan-3α-ol-20-one (3α,5α-THP), in the midbrain ventral tegmental area (VTA) respectively mediate the initiation and intensity of lordosis of female rats and mayalso modulate anxietyand social behaviors, through actions in these, and/or other brain regions. Biosynthesis of E2, P4, and 3α,5α-THP can also occur in brain, independent of peripheral gland secretion, in response to environmental/behavioral stimuli. The extent to which engaging in tasks related to reproductive behaviors and/or mating increased E2 or progestin concentrations in brain was investigated. In Experiment 1, proestrous rats were randomly assigned to be tested in individual tasks, including the open field, elevated plus maze, partner preference, social interaction, or no test control, in conjunction with paced mating or no mating. Engaging in paced mating, but not other behaviors, significantly increased dihydroprogesterone (DHP) and 3α,5α-THP levels in midbrain, hippocampus, striatum, and cortex. In Experiment 2, proestrous rats were tested in the combinations of the above tasks (open field and elevated plus maze, partner preference, and social interaction) with or without paced mating. As in Experiment 1, only engaging in paced mating increased DHPand 3α,5α-THP concentrations in midbrain, hippocampus, striatum, and cortex. Thus, paced mating enhances concentrations of 5α-reduced progestins in brain areas associated with reproduction (midbrain), as well as exploration/anxiety (hippocampus and striatum) and social behavior (cortex).

scholarly journals Anxiolytic activity of aerial part hydroethanolic extract of Allium ascalonicum Linn. (Liliaceae) in mice

2012 ◽  
Vol 2 (11) ◽  
pp. 448 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abidemi J. Akindele ◽  
Hakeem A. Sanni ◽  
Pamela C. Edeh
Keyword(s):  
Social Interaction ◽  
Open Field ◽  
Aerial Part ◽  
Elevated Plus Maze ◽  
Anxiolytic Activity ◽  
Elevated Plus Maze Test ◽  
Plus Maze ◽  
Hole Board ◽  
Hole Board Test ◽  
Hydroethanolic Extract

Background: Allium ascalonicum Linn. (Liliaceae) is a mildly aromatic annual herb used to flavor food. Ethnobotanical survey revealed application of A. ascalonicumin the treatment of central nervous system (CNS) disorders.  Objective: To investigate the anxiolytic activity of aerial part hydroethanolic extract of A. ascalonicum. Methods: The hole-board, elevated plus maze, light/dark exploration, open field and social interaction tests were used in this study. Groups of mice were treated orally with distilled water (10 ml/kg), diazepam (1 mg/kg), and A. ascalonicum (50-400 mg/kg). Evaluations were done 1 h post-treatment and the duration of observation was mostly 5 min. In the hole-board test, mice were observed for number/duration of head dips and number of sectional crossings. In the elevated plus maze test, the time spent in the open/closed arms and the number of entries by mice were observed. In the light/dark exploration test, the latency of entry into the dark box, time spent in the light and dark compartments, number of rearing and assisted rearing were determined. In respect of the open field test, observations were made for the number of rearing, assisted rearing, and sectional crossings. In the social interaction test, pairs of mice were observed for number of interactions including sniffing, following, and partner grooming. Results: In the hole-board test, A. ascalonicum significantly (p<0.05, 0.01) increased the number/duration of head dips and number of sectional crossings. In the elevated plus maze test, A. ascalonicum significantly (p<0.05) increased the number of entries into the open arm with corresponding reduction in number of entries into the closed arm. In the light/dark exploration test, A. ascalonicum significantly (p<0.05, 0.01) increased the latency of entry into the dark box, time spent in the light box, and number of rearing and assisted rearing. In respect of the open field test, A. ascalonicum significantly (p<0.05, 0.01) increased the number of sectional crossings and rearing. Considering the social interaction test, A. ascalonicum significantly (p<0.05) increased the number of interactions. Peak anti-anxiety effects were mostly observed at the dose of 100 mg/kg. Conclusion: The aerial part hydroethanolic extract of Allium ascalonicum possesses anxiolytic properties. Keywords: Allium ascalonicum, Liliaceae, anxiolytic activity, medicinal plants, traditional medicine.

scholarly journals Participation ofGABAAChloride Channels in the Anxiolytic-Like Effects of a Fatty Acid Mixture

2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juan Francisco Rodríguez-Landa ◽  
Rosa Isela García-Ríos ◽  
Jonathan Cueto-Escobedo ◽  
Blandina Bernal-Morales ◽  
Carlos M. Contreras
Keyword(s):  
Open Field ◽  
Field Test ◽  
Chloride Channels ◽  
Wistar Rats ◽  
Elevated Plus Maze ◽  
Open Field Test ◽  
Acid Mixture ◽  
Plus Maze ◽  
Gaba Binding ◽  
Defensive Burying

Human amniotic fluid and a mixture of eight fatty acids (FAT-M) identified in this maternal fluid (C12:0, lauric acid, 0.9 μg%; C14:0, myristic acid, 6.9 μg%; C16:0, palmitic acid, 35.3 μg%; C16:1, palmitoleic acid, 16.4 μg%; C18:0, stearic acid, 8.5 μg%; C18:1cis, oleic acid, 18.4 μg%; C18:1trans, elaidic acid, 3.5 μg%; C18:2, linoleic acid, 10.1 μg%) produce anxiolytic-like effects that are comparable to diazepam in Wistar rats, suggesting the involvement ofγ-aminobutyric acid-A (GABAA) receptors, a possibility not yet explored. Wistar rats were subjected to the defensive burying test, elevated plus maze, and open field test. In different groups, threeGABAAreceptor antagonists were administered 30 min before FAT-M administration, including the competitive GABA binding antagonist bicuculline (1 mg/kg),GABAAbenzodiazepine antagonist flumazenil (5 mg/kg), and noncompetitiveGABAAchloride channel antagonist picrotoxin (1 mg/kg). The FAT-M exerted anxiolytic-like effects in the defensive burying test and elevated plus maze, without affecting locomotor activity in the open field test. TheGABAAantagonists alone did not produce significant changes in the behavioral tests. Picrotoxin but not bicuculline or flumazenil blocked the anxiolytic-like effect of the FAT-M. Based on the specific blocking action of picrotoxin on the effects of the FAT-M, we conclude that the FAT-M exerted its anxiolytic-like effects throughGABAAreceptor chloride channels.

Neuropharmacological Activity of Various Fractions Obtained from Solanum aethiopicum (Linn.) Fruit in Mice.

2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (5) ◽  
pp. 12-23
Author(s):  
A.R. Abubakar ◽  
◽  
I.H. Sani ◽  
S. Malami ◽  
A.H. Yaro ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Open Field ◽  
Elevated Plus Maze ◽  
Toxicity Testing ◽  
Aqueous Fraction ◽  
Solanum Aethiopicum ◽  
Elevated Plus Maze Test ◽  
Board Test ◽  
Plus Maze ◽  
Hole Board ◽  
Hole Board Test

Background: Solanum aethiopicum (L.), family Solanaceae, is known as garden eggs. The fruit is used in the treatment of insomnia, diabetes and constipation. Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate anxiolytic-like activity of fractions obtained from crude methanol extract of Solanum aethiopicum fruit. Method: Acute toxicity testing was conducted according to the OECD guidelines 420 via oral and intraperitoneal routes (ip). n-Hexane (HF), chloroform (CHF), ethyl-acetate (EAF), n-butanol (BF) and residual aqueous fraction (RAF) at doses of 25, 50 and 100 mg/kg ip were experimented using the open field, elevated plus maze, staircase, light dark box and hole-board tests. Results: Results: In open field test, there was statistically significant increase in frequency of central square entry by EAF 25mg/kg, 50mg/kg and 100mg/kg and RAF 25mg/kg, 50mg/kg and 100mg/kg all at p<0.05 compared to distilled water (D/W) group. Elevated plus maze test showed statistically significant increases in open arm entry and duration by CHF 25mg/kg, RAF 25mg/kg and 50mg/kg again at p<0.05. Also, in the staircase test, statistically significant decrease in frequency of rearing with no effect on step climbing was observed by RAF 25mg/kg (p< 0.05) compared to D/W. Light and dark box test produced increased light box entry and duration by EAF 25mg/kg, RAF 25mg/kg and 50mg/ kg at p<0.05. Furthermore, the hole -board test showed statistically significant increases in number of head dips by EAF 50mg/kg and 100mg/kg as well as RAF 25mg/kg, 50mg/kg and 100 mg/kg at p<0.05. Conclusion: The fractions obtained from Solanum aethiopicum fruits possesses anxiolytic-like activity.

scholarly journals Staying at the crossroads: assessment of the potential of serum lithium monitoring in predicting an ideal lithium dose

2008 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 215-221 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thiago Zaqueu Lima ◽  
Miriam Marcela Blanco ◽  
Jair Guilherme dos Santos Júnior ◽  
Carolina Tesone Coelho ◽  
Luiz Eugênio Mello
Keyword(s):  
Open Field ◽  
Lithium Chloride ◽  
Elevated Plus Maze ◽  
Lithium Concentration ◽  
Serum Lithium Concentration ◽  
Narrow Therapeutic Range ◽  
Plus Maze ◽  
Sufficient Precision ◽  
Lithium Dose ◽  
Plasmatic Concentration

OBJECTIVE: Lithium has been successfully employed to treat bipolar disorder for decades, and recently, was shown to attenuate the symptoms of other pathologies such as Alzheimer's disease, Down's syndrome, ischemic processes, and glutamate-mediated excitotoxicity. However, lithium's narrow therapeutic range limits its broader use. Therefore, the development of methods to better predict its dose becomes essential to an ideal therapy. METHOD: the performance of adult Wistar rats was evaluated at the open field and elevated plus maze after a six weeks treatment with chow supplemented with 0.255%, or 0.383% of lithium chloride, or normal feed. Thereafter, blood samples were collected to measure the serum lithium concentration. RESULTS: Animals fed with 0.255% lithium chloride supplemented chow presented a higher rearing frequency at the open field, and higher frequency of arms entrance at the elevated plus maze than animals fed with a 50% higher lithium dose presented. Nevertheless, both groups presented similar lithium plasmatic concentration. DISCUSSION: different behaviors induced by both lithium doses suggest that these animals had different lithium distribution in their brains that was not detected by lithium serum measurement. CONCLUSION: serum lithium concentration measurements do not seem to provide sufficient precision to support its use as predictive of behaviors.

scholarly journals Dose-Dependent, Antidepressant, and Anxiolytic Effects of a Traditional Medicinal Plant for the Management of Behavioral Dysfunctions in Animal Models

Dose-Response ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 17 (4) ◽  
pp. 155932581989126 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hafiz Muhammad Asif ◽  
Abdul Hayee ◽  
Muhammad Rahil Aslam ◽  
Khalil Ahmad ◽  
Abdul Sattar Hashmi
Keyword(s):  
Open Field ◽  
Elevated Plus Maze ◽  
Tail Suspension Test ◽  
Antidepressant Effect ◽  
Tail Suspension ◽  
Hydroalcoholic Extract ◽  
Elevated Plus Maze Test ◽  
Plus Maze ◽  
Immobility Time ◽  
Dose Dependent

The present work was carried out to assess the Onosma bracteatum anxiolytic and antidepressant properties. Swiss albino mice (male) were fed orally with hydroalcoholic extract at different doses 50, 100, and 200 mg 1 hour prior to test with the standard diazepam and fluoxetine. Anxiolytic and antidepressant activities were evaluated by using open field, elevated plus maze, force swimming, and tail suspension test. Results of open field test showed an increase in number of line crossing as well as number of rearing in dosage-dependent design. Although results of elevated plus maze test evidently showed antianxiety effect of O bracteatum by increasing the time spent in open arms along with decreasing the time spent in closed arms in dosage-dependent way. For the evaluation of antidepressant effect, O bracteatum diminished the immobility time and expanded mobility time in forced swim model in dosage-dependent way. Likewise, O bracteatum expanded time span of mobility along with diminished immobility time in tail suspension method in dosage-dependent way. Outcome demonstrated that plant at the dose of 200 mg/kg body weight showed significant potential which was similar to that standard diazepam and fluoxetine. Hence, O bracteatum may be used as potent natural psychotherapeutic agent against the mental disorders.

Effect of Surfagon on Open Field and Elevated Plus Maze Behavior of Gonadectomized and Non-Gonadectomized Male Rats

2019 ◽  
Vol 168 (1) ◽  
pp. 52-54
Author(s):  
O. O. Masalova ◽  
S. B. Kazakova ◽  
T. N. Savateeva-Lyubimova ◽  
K. V. Sivak ◽  
N. S. Sapronov ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Open Field ◽  
Elevated Plus Maze ◽  
Male Rats ◽  
Plus Maze

scholarly journals Neonatal Desflurane Exposure Induces More Robust Neuroapoptosis than Do Isoflurane and Sevoflurane and Impairs Working Memory

2011 ◽  
Vol 115 (5) ◽  
pp. 979-991 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mitsuyoshi Kodama ◽  
Yasushi Satoh ◽  
Yukiko Otsubo ◽  
Yoshiyuki Araki ◽  
Ryuji Yonamine ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Open Field ◽  
Elevated Plus Maze ◽  
Memory Task ◽  
Adenosine Diphosphate ◽  
Long Term Memory ◽  
Neonatal Exposure ◽  
Term Memory ◽  
Plus Maze

Background In animal models, neonatal exposure to volatile anesthetics induces neuroapoptosis, leading to memory deficits in adulthood. However, effects of neonatal exposure to desflurane are largely unknown. Methods Six-day-old C57BL/6 mice were exposed to equivalent doses of desflurane, sevoflurane, or isoflurane for 3 or 6 h. Minimum alveolar concentration was determined by the tail-clamp method as a function of anesthesia duration. Apoptosis was evaluated by immunohistochemical staining for activated caspase-3, and by TUNEL. Western blot analysis for cleaved poly-(adenosine diphosphate-ribose) polymerase was performed to examine apoptosis comparatively. The open-field, elevated plus-maze, Y-maze, and fear conditioning tests were performed to evaluate general activity, anxiety-related behavior, working memory, and long-term memory, respectively. Results Minimum alveolar concentrations at 1 h were determined to be 11.5% for desflurane, 3.8% for sevoflurane, and 2.7% for isoflurane in 6-day-old mice. Neonatal exposure to desflurane (8%) induced neuroapoptosis with an anatomic pattern similar to that of sevoflurane or isoflurane; however, desflurane induced significantly greater levels of neuroapoptosis than almost equivalent doses of sevoflurane (3%) or isoflurane (2%). In adulthood, mice treated with these anesthetics had impaired long-term memory, whereas no significant anomalies were detected in the open-field and the elevated plus-maze tests. Although performance in a working memory task was normal in mice exposed neonatally to sevoflurane or isoflurane, mice exposed to desflurane had significantly impaired working memory. Conclusions In an animal model, neonatal desflurane exposure induced more neuroapoptosis than did sevoflurane or isoflurane and impaired working memory, suggesting that desflurane is more neurotoxic than sevoflurane or isoflurane.

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