title: Preoperative open field behavior predicts levels of neuropathic pain-related behavior in mice.
abstract: Exploratory open field (OF) activity was assessed in seven different mouse strains and selection lines. We counted the number of beam interruptions made by three cagemate mice at a time. This assay tests reactivity to aversive stimuli, anxiety and emotionality. One hindlimb was then totally denervated by transecting the sciatic and saphenous nerves on one side, and autotomy, a behavior thought to be related to neuropathic pain, was quantified over 35 days. We report that OF activity and autotomy are highly variable across different strains/lines. These results reaffirm the genetic control of these behaviors. We also found that these behaviors are inversely and significantly correlated. We suggest that common genetically-determined neural mechanisms may underlie anxiety, emotionality and neuropathic pain in mice.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Hadassah Medical School The Hebrew University, Mount Scopus Hospital, Jerusalem, Israel. vatinejj@md2.huji.ac.il
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Vatine
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Devor
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Belfer
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Raber
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zeltser
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dolina
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Seltzer
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003714:Denervation / Q000009:adverse effects; D005106:Exploratory Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D010146:Pain / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010523:Peripheral Nervous System Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012652:Self Mutilation / Q000503:physiopathology