Response Calls Evoked by Playback of Natural 50-kHz Ultrasonic Vocalizations in Rats

Rats are highly social animals known to communicate with ultrasonic vocalizations (USV) of different frequencies. Calls around 50 kHz are thought to represent a positive affective state, whereas calls around 22 kHz are believed to serve as alarm or distress calls. During playback of natural 50-kHz USV, rats show a reliable and strong social approach response toward the sound source. While this response has been studied in great detail in numerous publications, little is known about the emission of USV in response to natural 50-kHz USV playback. To close this gap, we capitalized on three data sets previously obtained and analyzed USV evoked by natural 50-kHz USV playback in male juvenile rats. We compared different rat stocks, namely Wistar (WI) and Sprague-Dawley (SD) and investigated the pharmacological treatment with the dopaminergic D2 receptor antagonist haloperidol. These response calls were found to vary broadly inter-individually in numbers, mean peak frequencies, durations and frequency modulations. Despite the large variability, the results showed no major differences between experimental conditions regarding call likelihood or call parameters, representing a robust phenomenon. However, most response calls had clearly lower frequencies and were longer than typical 50-kHz calls, i.e., around 30 kHz and lasting generally around 0.3 s. These calls resemble aversive 22-kHz USV of adult rats but were of higher frequencies and shorter durations. Moreover, blockade of dopamine D2 receptors did not substantially affect the emission of response calls suggesting that they are not dependent on the D2 receptor function. Taken together, this study provides a detailed analysis of response calls toward playback of 50-kHz USV in juvenile WI and SD rats. This includes calls representing 50-kHz USV, but mostly calls with lower frequencies that are not clearly categorizable within the so far known two main groups of USV in adult rats. We discuss the possible functions of these response calls addressing their communicative functions like contact or appeasing calls, and whether they may reflect a state of frustration. In future studies, response calls might also serve as a new read-out in rat models for neuropsychiatric disorders, where acoustic communication is impaired, such as autism spectrum disorder.

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Effect of glucose deprivation on rat glutamine synthetase in cultured astrocytes

Biochemical Journal ◽

10.1042/bj3150607 ◽

1996 ◽

Vol 315 (2) ◽

pp. 607-612 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Françoise ROSIER ◽

Dominique LAMBERT ◽

Jeannine MERTENS-STRIJTHAGEN

Keyword(s):

Glutamine Synthetase ◽

Specific Activity ◽

Glucose Deprivation ◽

Synthesis Rate ◽

Synthetase Activity ◽

Glutamine Synthetase Activity ◽

Sprague Dawley ◽

Experimental Conditions ◽

Adult Rats ◽

Total Recovery

Glutamine synthetase was purified from the cerebral cortex of adult rats and characterized. Polyclonal rabbit antibodies were raised against the enzyme, purified and their specific anti-(glutamine synthetase) activity determined. A primary astroglial culture was prepared from newborn Sprague–Dawley rats. Astrocytes at different ages of development were incubated in the presence and absence of glucose. In glucose-deprived conditions the specific activity of glutamine synthetase decreased. This decrease was more pronounced in 8-day-old than in 21-day-old cultures. Kinetic analysis demonstrated that the reduction in activity was mainly related to a decrease in Vmax. By immunoprecipitation, it was shown that the number of enzyme molecules in astrocytes was decreased in glucose-deprived conditions. On addition of glucose, a total recovery of glutamine synthetase was obtained after 36 h in 8-day-old culture. Rates of degradation and synthesis were investigated. When compared with an incubation in the presence of glucose, glucose deprivation increased enzyme turnover, as estimated from the first-order disappearance of radioactivity from glutamine synthetase. Synthesis rate was estimated from the incorporation of [35S]methionine during a 2 h incubation period and was decreased in glucose-deprived conditions. Trichloroacetate-precipitable proteins changed only slightly in the experimental conditions, and total protein did not vary significantly during the experimental period. A mathematical model is presented which attempts to integrate degradation and synthesis in our experimental model.

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Brain Aromatase in Control Versus Castrated Norway Brown, Sprague-Dawley and Wistar Adult Rats

Proceedings of The Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine ◽

10.1046/j.1525-1373.1999.d01-65.x ◽

1999 ◽

Vol 221 (2) ◽

pp. 126-130 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Lori J. Mathias ◽

Nathan A. Jacobson ◽

Reuben W. Rhees ◽

Edwin D. Lephart

Keyword(s):

Sprague Dawley ◽

Adult Rats ◽

Brain Aromatase ◽

Control Versus

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Impact of repeated co-treatment with escitalopram and aripiprazole on the schizophrenia-like behaviors and BDNF mRNA expression in the adult Sprague–Dawley rats exposed to glutathione deficit during early postnatal development of the brain

Pharmacological Reports ◽

10.1007/s43440-021-00318-z ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Marta A. Lech ◽

Kinga Kamińska ◽

Monika Leśkiewicz ◽

Elżbieta Lorenc-Koci ◽

Zofia Rogóż

Keyword(s):

Mrna Expression ◽

Postnatal Development ◽

Repeated Treatment ◽

Sprague Dawley ◽

Biochemical Tests ◽

Bdnf Mrna ◽

Adult Rats ◽

Behavioral Deficits ◽

Glutathione Synthesis ◽

Early Postnatal Development

Abstract Background Preclinical and clinical studies have indicated that impaired endogenous synthesis of glutathione during early postnatal development plays a significant role in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. Moreover, some studies have suggested that antidepressants are able to increase the activity of atypical antipsychotics which may efficiently improve the treatment of negative and cognitive symptoms of schizophrenia. Methods In the present study, we investigated the influence of repeated co-treatment with escitalopram and aripiprazole on the schizophrenia-like behavior and BDNF mRNA expression in adult rats exposed to glutathione deficit during early postnatal development. Male pups between the postnatal days p5–p16 were treated with the inhibitor of glutathione synthesis, BSO (L-buthionine-(S,R)-sulfoximine) and the dopamine uptake inhibitor, GBR 12,909 alone or in combination. Escitalopram and aripiprazole were given repeatedly for 21 days before the tests. On p90–92 rats were evaluated in the behavioral and biochemical tests. Results BSO given alone and together with GBR 12,909 induced deficits in the studied behavioral tests and decreased the expression of BDNF mRNA. Repeated aripiprazole administration at a higher dose reversed these behavioral deficits. Co-treatment with aripiprazole and an ineffective dose of escitalopram also abolished the behavioral deficits in the studied tests. Conclusion The obtained data indicated that the inhibition of glutathione synthesis in early postnatal development induced long-term deficits corresponding to schizophrenia-like behavior and decreased the BDNF mRNA expression in adult rats, and these behavioral deficits were reversed by repeated treatment with a higher dose of aripiprazole and also by co-treatment with aripiprazole and ineffective dose of escitalopram.

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The Interpretation of E-Motions in Faces and Bodies Derived from Static Artworks by Individuals with High Functioning Autistic Spectrum

Vision ◽

10.3390/vision5020017 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 5 (2) ◽

pp. 17

Author(s):

Maria Elisa Della-Torre ◽

Daniele Zavagno ◽

Rossana Actis-Grosso

Keyword(s):

Positive Emotions ◽

Emotional Experience ◽

Affective State ◽

Likert Scale ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Emotional Expressions ◽

Affective States ◽

Dynamic Component ◽

Specific Emotion ◽

Similar Range

E-motions are defined as those affective states the expressions of which—conveyed either by static faces or body posture—embody a dynamic component and, consequently, convey a higher sense of dynamicity than other emotional expressions. An experiment is presented, aimed at testing whether e-motions are perceived as such also by individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs), which have been associated with impairments in emotion recognition and in motion perception. To this aim we replicate with ASD individuals a study, originally conducted with typically developed individuals (TDs), in which we showed to both ASD and TD participants 14 bodiless heads and 14 headless bodies taken from eleven static artworks and four drawings. The Experiment was divided into two sessions. In Session 1 participants were asked to freely associate each stimulus to an emotion or an affective state (Task 1, option A); if they were unable to find a specific emotion, the experimenter showed them a list of eight possible emotions (words) and asked them to choose one from such list, that best described the affective state portrayed in the image (Task 1, option B). After their choice, they were asked to rate the intensity of the perceived emotion on a seven point Likert scale (Task 2). In Session 2 participants were requested to evaluate the degree of dynamicity conveyed by each stimulus on a 7 point Likert scale. Results showed that ASDs and TDs shared a similar range of verbal expressions defining emotions; however, ASDs (i) showed an impairment in the ability to spontaneously assign an emotion to a headless body, and (ii) they more frequently used terms denoting negative emotions (for both faces and bodies) as compared to neutral emotions, which in turn were more frequently used by TDs. No difference emerged between the two groups for positive emotions, with happiness being the emotion better recognized in both faces and in bodies. Although overall there are no significant differences between the two groups with respect to the emotions assigned to the images and the degree of perceived dynamicity, the interaction Artwork x Group showed that for some images ASDs assigned a different value than TDs to perceived dynamicity. Moreover, two images were interpreted by ASDs as conveying completely different emotions than those perceived by TDs. Results are discussed in light of the ability of ASDs to resolve ambiguity, and of possible different cognitive styles characterizing the aesthetical/emotional experience.

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Cigarette smoke inhalation aggravates diabetic kidney injury in rats

Toxicology Research ◽

10.1039/c9tx00201d ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 8 (6) ◽

pp. 964-971 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Songling Jiang ◽

Do Van Quan ◽

Jae Hyuck Sung ◽

Moo-Yeol Lee ◽

Hunjoo Ha

Keyword(s):

Kidney Disease ◽

Cigarette Smoke ◽

Density Lipoprotein ◽

Kidney Injury ◽

Diabetic Rats ◽

Smoke Inhalation ◽

Lipoprotein Cholesterol ◽

Sprague Dawley ◽

Experimental Conditions ◽

Diabetic Kidney

Abstract Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is the leading cause of end-stage kidney disease. Epidemiological studies have demonstrated that cigarette smoke or nicotine is a risk factor for the progression of chronic kidney injury. The present study analyzed the kidney toxicity of cigarette smoke in experimental rats with DKD. Experimental diabetes was induced in 7-week-old Sprague-Dawley rats by a single intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (60 mg kg−1). Four weeks after the induction of diabetes, rats were exposed to cigarette smoke (200 μg L−1), 4 h daily, and 5 days per week for 4 weeks. Cigarette smoke did not affect the levels of plasma glucose, hemoglobin A1c, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol or non-esterified fatty acids in both control and diabetic rats under the experimental conditions. Cigarette smoke, however, significantly increased diabetes-induced glomerular hypertrophy and urinary kidney injury molecule-1 (KIM-1) and neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) excretion, suggesting exacerbation of diabetic kidney injury. Cigarette smoke promoted macrophage infiltration and fibrosis in the diabetic kidney. As expected, cigarette smoke increased oxidative stress in both control and diabetic rats. These data demonstrated that four weeks of exposure to cigarette smoke aggravated the progression of DKD in rats.

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Effects of adolescent caffeine consumption on cocaine self-administration and reinstatement of cocaine seeking

Journal of Psychopharmacology ◽

10.1177/0269881118812098 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 33 (1) ◽

pp. 132-144

Author(s):

Tracey A Larson ◽

Casey E O’Neill ◽

Michaela P Palumbo ◽

Ryan K Bachtell

Keyword(s):

Dose Response ◽

Extinction Training ◽

Schedules Of Reinforcement ◽

Sprague Dawley ◽

Self Administration ◽

Caffeine Consumption ◽

Adult Rats ◽

Sprague Dawley Rats ◽

Cocaine Seeking ◽

Administration Procedure

Background: Caffeine consumption by children and adolescents has risen dramatically in recent years, yet the lasting effects of caffeine consumption during adolescence remain poorly understood. Aim: These experiments explore the effects of adolescent caffeine consumption on cocaine self-administration and seeking using a rodent model. Methods: Sprague-Dawley rats consumed caffeine for 28 days during the adolescent period. Following the caffeine consumption period, the caffeine solution was replaced with water for the remainder of the experiment. Age-matched control rats received water for the duration of the study. Behavioral testing in a cocaine self-administration procedure occurred during adulthood (postnatal days 62–82) to evaluate how adolescent caffeine exposure influenced the reinforcing properties of cocaine. Cocaine seeking was also tested during extinction training and reinstatement tests following cocaine self-administration. Results: Adolescent caffeine consumption increased the acquisition of cocaine self-administration and increased performance on different schedules of reinforcement. Consumption of caffeine in adult rats did not produce similar enhancements in cocaine self-administration. Adolescent caffeine consumption also produced an upward shift in the U-shaped dose response curve on cocaine self-administration maintained on a within-session dose-response procedure. Adolescent caffeine consumption had no effect on cocaine seeking during extinction training or reinstatement of cocaine seeking by cues or cocaine. Conclusions: These findings suggest that caffeine consumption during adolescence may enhance the reinforcing properties of cocaine, leading to enhanced acquisition that may contribute to increased addiction vulnerability.

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Serotonin2 receptors mediate respiratory recovery after cervical spinal cord hemisection in adult rats

Journal of Applied Physiology ◽

10.1152/jappl.2001.91.6.2665 ◽

2001 ◽

Vol 91 (6) ◽

pp. 2665-2673 ◽

Cited By ~ 46

Author(s):

Shi-Yi Zhou ◽

Gregory J. Basura ◽

Harry G. Goshgarian

Keyword(s):

Spinal Cord ◽

Receptor Antagonist ◽

Phrenic Nerve ◽

Cervical Spinal Cord ◽

Sprague Dawley ◽

Related Activity ◽

Adult Rats ◽

Cord Injury ◽

Respiratory Recovery ◽

Spinal Cord Hemisection

The aim of the present study was to specifically investigate the involvement of serotonin [5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT2)] receptors in 5-HT-mediated respiratory recovery after cervical hemisection. Experiments were conducted on C2 spinal cord-hemisected, anesthetized (chloral hydrate, 400 mg/kg ip), vagotomized, pancuronium- paralyzed, and artificially ventilated female Sprague-Dawley rats in which CO2 levels were monitored and maintained. Twenty-four hours after spinal hemisection, the ipsilateral phrenic nerve displayed no respiratory-related activity indicative of a functionally complete hemisection. Intravenous administration of the 5-HT2A/2C-receptor agonist (±)-2,5-dimethoxy-4-iodoamphetamine hydrochloride (DOI) induced respiratory-related activity in the phrenic nerve ipsilateral to hemisection under conditions in which CO2 was maintained at constant levels and augmented the activity induced under conditions of hypercapnia. The effects of DOI were found to be dose dependent, and the recovery of activity could be maintained for up to 2 h after a single injection. DOI-induced recovery was attenuated by the 5-HT2-receptor antagonist ketanserin but not with the 5-HT2C-receptor antagonist RS-102221, suggesting that 5-HT2A and not necessarily 5-HT2C receptors may be involved in the induction of respiratory recovery after cervical spinal cord injury.

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Effects of hypophysectomy and subsequent FSH and testosterone treatment on inhibin production by adult rat testes

Journal of Endocrinology ◽

10.1677/joe.0.1050001 ◽

1985 ◽

Vol 105 (1) ◽

pp. 1-6 ◽

Cited By ~ 26

Author(s):

C. L. Au ◽

D. M. Robertson ◽

D. M. de Kretser

Keyword(s):

Seminiferous Tubule ◽

Hormonal Control ◽

Human Chorionic Gonadotrophin ◽

Experimental Conditions ◽

Adult Rats ◽

Adult Rat ◽

Fluid Production ◽

Tubule Fluid

ABSTRACT The hormonal control of inhibin production by adult rat testes was investigated using an in-vitro inhibin bioassay validated for the measurement of inhibin activity in charcoal-treated rat testicular extracts. The effect of hypophysectomy examined at 16 h, 3, 7 and 42 days after surgery showed a decrease in testicular inhibin content and seminiferous tubule fluid production by 7 days and a decrease in inhibin production by 42 days. Serum FSH and LH were suppressed 3 days after surgery. In 30-day chronically hypophysectomized adult rats treated for 3 days with twice daily s.c. injections of (a) human FSH (hFSH, 22 i.u./rat per day), (b) testosterone (5 mg/rat per day), (c) hFSH + testosterone (same doses as a and b), or (d) human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG, 12 i.u./rat per day), hFSH or hFSH and testosterone stimulated an increase in testicular inhibin content but not in inhibin production or tubule fluid production. Testosterone and hCG had no effect on these parameters. It is concluded that in vivo, FSH alone stimulates an increase in testicular inhibin content. The failure to observe an increase in inhibin production in vivo is attributed to the suppression of seminiferous tubule fluid production under the same experimental conditions. J. Endocr. (1985) 105, 1–6

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Protective effects of dietary fibre against manganese-induced neurobehavioral aberrations in rats

Archives of Industrial Hygiene and Toxicology ◽

10.2478/10004-1254-63-2012-2149 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 63 (3) ◽

pp. 263-270 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Xiu-Quan Shi ◽

Wei Yan ◽

Ke-Yue Wang ◽

Qi-Yuan Fan ◽

Yan Zou

Keyword(s):

Cerebral Cortex ◽

Animal Feed ◽

Oral Exposure ◽

Protective Effects ◽

Sprague Dawley ◽

Adult Rats ◽

Neurobehavioral Performance ◽

Sprague Dawley Rats ◽

Applied Dose ◽

Mn Concentrations

We tested the hypothesis that dietary fi bre (DF) has protective effects against manganese (Mn)-induced neurotoxicity. Forty-eight one-month old Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into six groups: control, 16 % DF, Mn (50 mg kg-1 body weight), Mn+ 4 % DF, Mn+ 8 % DF, and Mn+ 16 % DF. After oral administration of Mn (as MnCl2) by intragastric tube during one month, we determined Mn concentrations in the blood, liver, cerebral cortex, and stool and tested neurobehavioral functions. Administration of Mn was associated with increased Mn concentration in the blood, liver, and cerebral cortex and increased Mn excretion in the stool. Aberrations in neurobehavioral performance included increases in escape latency and number of errors and decrease in step-down latency. Irrespective of the applied dose, the addition of DF in forage decreased tissue Mn concentrations and increased Mn excretion rate in the stool by 20 % to 35 %. All neurobehavioral aberrations were also improved. Our fi ndings show that oral exposure to Mn may cause neurobehavioral abnormalities in adult rats that could be effi ciently alleviated by concomitant supplementation of DF in animal feed.

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Fleeting: a Novel Ultrasonic Vocalization in Mice That Allows to Define Altered Developmental Milestones in Autism Spectrum Disorder

10.21203/rs.3.rs-1169877/v1 ◽

2022 ◽

Author(s):

Helena Ferreira ◽

Sofia Santos ◽

João Martins ◽

Miguel Castelo-Branco ◽

Joana Gonçalves

Keyword(s):

Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Ultrasonic Vocalizations ◽

Spectrum Disorder ◽

Gradual Loss ◽

Major Mode ◽

Age Dependent ◽

Communication Impairments ◽

Insight Into ◽

Time Point

Abstract A major mode of rodent communication occurs through ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs), which are influenced by environmental factors, mouse strain or genetic background and, importantly, by developmental stage. However, few studies have looked into the age-dependent evolution of spectral features of mouse USVs. Here, we report the existence of a novel vocalization, previously unreported, which we named “Fleeting” consisting of two acoustic elements produced with a narrow silent temporal interval between them. Strikingly, this vocalization pattern was extinguished after the second postnatal week, and this temporal pattern was associated with increased emission of Complex vocalizations, by gradual loss of the inter-element interval, suggesting a maturation process occurring at this time point. Importantly, the Fleeting vocalization was analyzed in a mouse model (Tsc2+/-) of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), and showed an abnormal persistence, in particular in females which presented delayed conversion of Fleeting into Complex vocalizations compared with males. The identification of this novel vocalization represents an important insight into the maturation of mouse vocal repertoire and may be used as a developmental milestone in studies on neurodevelopmental disorders with communication impairments.

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