title: Pharmacologic and behavioral responses of inbred C57BL/6J and strain 129/SvJ mouse lines.
abstract: Gene-targeting technology is creating an explosion in the number of animals available with single gene mutations that affect the function of the central nervous system. Most gene-targeted mice are produced on a mixed genetic background of C57BL/6J and substrains of Strain 129. Understanding the behavioral characteristics and responses to various drugs of these parental strains is vital to interpreting data from gene-targeted mice. We directly compared C57BL/6J and Strain 129/SvJ mouse lines on several behavioral paradigms and in response to several hypnotic and anesthetic drugs. Compared to Strain 129/SvJ mice, C57BL/6J animals are more sensitive to the hypnotic effects of midazolam, zolpidem, and propofol, less sensitive to etomidate and ethanol, and do not differ in sensitivity to Ro15-4513 or pentobarbital. These strains do not differ in their sensitivity to the motor ataxic effects of the volatile anesthetics enflurane or halothane. However, Strain 129/SvJs are more sensitive to the immobilizing effects of halothane but not enflurane. Motor coordination differs initially, but with repeated testing strain differences are no longer apparent. Strain 129/SvJ mice are more anxious on the elevated plus maze and open-field activity assays. Thus, these mouse strains harbor polymorphisms that influence some, but not all, traits of interest to behavioral neuroscientists.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anestheshiology/Critical Care Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA.
authors.forename: G E
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Homanics
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Quinlan
authors.forename: L L
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Firestone
mesh_terms: D000777:Anesthetics / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D000431:Ethanol / Q000494:pharmacology; D005106:Exploratory Behavior / Q000187:drug effects*; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000187:drug effects*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000187:drug effects*; D012890:Sleep / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000777:Anesthetics; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives; D000431:Ethanol