title: Behavioral characteristics of WAG/Rij rats susceptible and non-susceptible to audiogenic seizures.
abstract: Some rats of the WAG/Rij (Wistar Albino Glaxo from Rijswijk) and Wistar strain are susceptible for audiogenic (convulsive) seizures. In the present study, behavior of susceptible and non-susceptible rats from the WAG/Rij strain, genetically predisposed to absence epilepsy, and outbred Wistar strain, genetically not predisposed to absence epilepsy, was compared to assess the level of anxiety (in the open field, light-dark choice and elevated plus-maze tests) and the level of depression (in the sucrose consumption and forced swimming tests). Increased level of anxiety was found only in audiogenic susceptible rats both from WAG/Rij and Wistar strain, but increased level of depression was found only in WAG/Rij rats independently of their susceptibility to audiogenic seizures. The results suggest that enhanced level of depression in WAG/Rij strain rats is associated with absence epilepsy but enhanced level of anxiety with susceptibility to audiogenic seizures.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Higher Nervous Activity and Neurophysiology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Butlerov str. 5A, Moscow 117485, Russia. karine@online.ru
authors.forename: K Yu
authors.initials: KY
authors.lastname: Sarkisova
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Kulikov
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D001007:Anxiety / Q000503:physiopathology; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology*; D002755:Choice Behavior / Q000502:physiology; D003863:Depression / Q000503:physiopathology; D020195:Epilepsy, Reflex / Q000235:genetics / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005106:Exploratory Behavior / Q000502:physiology; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013395:Sucrose / Q000378:metabolism; D013550:Swimming / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D013395:Sucrose