title: Footshock-induced sensitization of the acoustic startle response in two strains of mice.
abstract: It has been shown before that unconditioned footshocks can augment the acoustic startle response in rats. In the present study, male mice of two strains, C57Bl/6N and BALB/c, were compared with regard to footshock-induced sensitization of the acoustic startle response. Presentation of footshocks did not affect the acoustic startle response in C57Bl/6N mice, while in contrast, footshock-induced sensitization was apparent in the BALB/c strain. Shocked C57Bl/6N mice, but not BALB/c mice, displayed robust conditioning to the startle context when re-tested the next day. These findings indicate that mice may exhibit footshock-induced sensitization of the acoustic startle response, but that the effects of footshocks on the acoustic startle are strain- and time-dependent.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychopharmacology, Utrecht University, Sorbonnelaan 16, 3584 CA Utrecht, The Netherlands. a.dirks@pharm.uu.nl
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dirks
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: de Jongh
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Groenink
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: van der Gugten
authors.forename: T H
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Hijzen
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Olivier
mesh_terms: D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D000818:Animals; D003672:Defecation / Q000502:physiology; D004597:Electroshock; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D013216:Reflex, Startle / Q000502:physiology*; D013045:Species Specificity