Comparison of the spontaneous behaviour of four strains of female mice with different physiological properties.
The behaviour of four strains of virgin and lactating mice with different physiological characteristics (SHN, SLN, GR/A and C3H/He) were compared. In virgin, the motor activity, determined by Supermex, was high in all strains shortly after the start of the test, especially in GR/A. In this strain, the high activity continued longer and was also observed before the dark phase. In both the entire 48 hours and the last 24 hours of measurement, GR/A showed higher activity than the other strains during the light phase, but not during the dark phase. These data suggest that GR/A is more sensitive and thus has lower adaptability to a new environment than the other strains and that the biological clock of this strain differs from the others. The frequency and the period in or out of the nest as estimated by a video monitor were smaller and longer, respectively, in SLN than in the other strains. However, no relationship was found between the pattern of behaviour at lactation and the pup growth as an index of lactational performance.
Kobayashi
T
T
Experimental Animal Research Laboratory, Meiji University, Kawasaki, Japan.
Mitamura
T
T
Nagasawa
H
H
D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology*; D001683:Biological Clocks / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006128:Growth / Q000502:physiology; D007774:Lactation / Q000502:physiology; D051379:Mice; D008809:Mice, Inbred C3H; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology*; D013045:Species Specificity; D014743:Videotape Recording