[Neurobehavioral function of neonatal mice following excitotoxic brain damage].
OBJECTIVE
To assess the changes of neurobehavioral function in a neonatal mouse model of excitotoxic brain damage.


METHODS
Fifty-five 5-day-old ICR neonatal mice were randomly assigned to three groups: blank (no intravenous) control (n=20), saline control (n=20) and excitotoxic brain damage model (ibotenic acid treatment, n=15). Behavioral function was evaluated by the surface righting reflex test (postnatal days 6-10), the swimming test (postnatal days 8-12) and the Y-maze discrimination learning test (postnatal days 33-34).


RESULTS
Righting time in the surface righting reflex test in the ibotenic acid treatment group on postnatal days 6-10 was more prolonged than that in the two control groups (p<0.05). Swimming test scores in the ibotenic acid treatment group were significantly lower than those in the two control groups (p<0.05). In the Y-maze discrimination learning test, the mice from the ibotenic acid treatment group performed significantly worse than two control groups, presenting with increased learning times (19.79+/-2.42 vs 16.29+/-2.48 or 16.30+/-2.37; p<0.05) and achieving a lower correct percentage (86.7% vs 96.5% or 95.0%) (p<0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
The developmental reflexes and learning and memory functions were impaired in neonatal mice following excitotoxic brain damage. Behavioral testing is useful in the evaluation of early developmental reflexes and long-term neurobehavioral outcome in neonatal mice with excitotoxic brain damage.
Qi
Zhi-Ye
ZY
Department of Pediatrics, First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical College, Kunming 650032, China.
He
Xiang-Ying
XY
Li
Qi
Q
Mo
Ya-Xiong
YX
Liang
Kun
K
D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects*; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects*; D018690:Excitatory Amino Acid Agonists / Q000633:toxicity*; D005260:Female; D007051:Ibotenic Acid / Q000633:toxicity*; D008297:Male; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D051379:Mice; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D013550:Swimming
D018690:Excitatory Amino Acid Agonists; D007051:Ibotenic Acid