title: Fear-potentiation in the elevated plus-maze test depends on stressor controllability and fear conditioning.
abstract: The purpose of the study was to determine which stressor qualities (escapable vs. inescapable stress and unconditioned vs. conditioned stress) can potentiate fear in the elevated plus-maze. While inescapable stress potentiated fear, escapable stress did not, but escapable stress increased the locomotor activity (closed arm entries). Inescapable stress only potentiated fear when re-exposure to the former shock compartment, 24 h after footshock and without further footshock, took place just before to 90 min before testing in the elevated plus-maze. We conclude that fear-potentiation in the plus-maze depends on stressor controllability and contextual conditioning. Fear-potentiation was reduced by the anxiolytic diazepam (0.5, 1.0 and 2.0 mg/kg, s.c.) and was further enhanced by the anxiogenic DMCM (1.0 mg/kg, s.c). The fear-potentiated plus-maze test may be a valuable tool in the search for novel anxiolytics and in the study of the neurobiology of fear-potentiation, fear conditioning and generalization of fear.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Physiology, University of Groningen, The Netherlands. s.m.korte@id.dlo.nl
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Korte
authors.forename: S F
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: De Boer
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bohus
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D001007:Anxiety / Q000523:psychology*; D001362:Avoidance Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D002243:Carbolines / Q000494:pharmacology; D003214:Conditioning, Classical; D003213:Conditioning, Psychological; D003975:Diazepam / Q000494:pharmacology; D004597:Electroshock; D005106:Exploratory Behavior / Q000187:drug effects; D005239:Fear / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology
chemical_list: D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents; D002243:Carbolines; C034818:methyl 6,7-dimethoxy-4-ethyl-beta-carboline-3-carboxylate; D003975:Diazepam