title: Social learning of a food preference in male and female Mongolian gerbils is facilitated by the anxiolytic, chlordiazepoxide.
abstract: Social transmission of a food preference in Mongolian gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus) depends on the presence of a social bond between the interacting animals. An "observer" gerbil can acquire a preference for a novel food item from a familiar and, or related "demonstrator" animal. However, exposure to an unfamiliar and unrelated demonstrator gerbil does not lead to acquisition of a food preference, even though the extent of social interaction and likelihood of transmission of food information is unaffected. Likewise, individual preexposure to a novel food does not affect diet preference in individual animals. Here we show that oral, nongavage, administration of the benzodiazepine anxiolytic, chlordiazcpoxide (CDP, 2.5, 5, and 10 mg/kg) has significant dose-associated differential facilitatory effects on social learning in male and female gerbils, while having no significant effects on either individual learning or total food consumption. These results suggest that the CDP mediated reduction of the anxiety associated with the interactions between unfamiliar/unrelated gerbils facilitates social learning. These findings also rise the possibility of sex differences in socially related anxiety and the effects of CDP on social learning in gerbils.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Biologia Evolutiva e Funzionale, Universita' degli Studi di Parma, Italy.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Choleris
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Valsecchi
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ferrari
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kavaliers
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mainardi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002707:Chlordiazepoxide / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004032:Diet; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D005518:Food Preferences / Q000187:drug effects / Q000523:psychology*; D005849:Gerbillinae; D007858:Learning / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D012919:Social Behavior
chemical_list: D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents; D002707:Chlordiazepoxide