title: Reduction of submissive behavior in rats: a test for antidepressant drug activity.
abstract: Randomly paired rats were food deprived overnight and placed in an apparatus compelling them to compete for a food reward. About half of these pairs developed a dominant-submissive relationship measured as a significant difference in time spent on the feeder by each rat. This relationship developed over a 2-week period and remained stable for at least the next 5 weeks. Treatment of the submissive subjects, for at least 2 weeks, with imipramine, desipramine, or fluoxetine (10 mg/kg) significantly reduced submissive behavior. The effect faded after cessation of treatment with desipramine. Fluoxetine was further tested at 2.5- and 5-mg/kg doses and showed a dose-dependent reduction of submissive behavior. Treatment of submissive rats with the anxiolytic diazepam (1 mg/kg) was ineffective. The prevalence of dominant-submissive relationships and the effect of desipramine and imipramine on submissive behavior were gender independent. The predictive, face, and construct validity of the behavioral test is discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Indiana University of School of Medicine, Evansville Center for Medical Education, Evansville, IN 47712, USA. emalatyn@iupui.edu
authors.forename: Ewa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Malatynska
authors.forename: Rachel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Goldenberg
authors.forename: Lucy
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Shuck
authors.forename: Arif
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Haque
authors.forename: Paula
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zamecki
authors.forename: Glenda
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Crites
authors.forename: Nancy
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Schindler
authors.forename: Richard J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Knapp
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects*; D003863:Depression / Q000188:drug therapy; D005260:Female; D008124:Locomotion / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D023421:Models, Animal; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
chemical_list: D000928:Antidepressive Agents