Pharmacological alterations of anxious behaviour in mice depending on both strain and the behavioural situation.
A previous study comparing non-emotive mice from the strain C57BL/6/ByJ with ABP/Le mice showed ABP/Le to be more anxious in an open-field situation. In the present study, several compounds affecting anxiety were assayed on ABP/Le and C57BL/6/ByJ mice using three behavioural models of anxiety: the elevated plus-maze, the light-dark discrimination test and the free exploratory paradigm. The compounds used were the full benzodiazepine receptor agonist, chlordiazepoxide, and the antagonist, flumazenil, the GABA(A) antagonist, bicuculline, the full 5-HT(1A) agonist 8-OH-DPAT, and the mixed 5-HT(1A)/5-HT(1B) agonist, RU 24969. Results showed the effect of the compounds to be dependent on both the strain and the behavioural task. Several compounds found to be anxiolytic in ABP/Le mice had an anxiogenic effect on C57BL/6/ByJ mice. More behavioural changes were observed for ABP/Le in the elevated plus-maze, but the clearest findings for C57BL/6/ByJ mice were observed in the light-dark discrimination apparatus. These data demonstrate that anxious behaviour is a complex phenomenon which cannot be described by a single behavioural task nor by the action of a single compound.
Clément
Yan
Y
Université Reims Champagne-Ardenne, Reims, France. yan.clement@univ-reims.fr
Le Guisquet
Anne-Marie
AM
Venault
Patrice
P
Chapouthier
Georges
G
Belzung
Catherine
C
D017371:8-Hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D001007:Anxiety; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D001569:Benzodiazepines / Q000378:metabolism; D001640:Bicuculline / Q000494:pharmacology; D002707:Chlordiazepoxide / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D007211:Indoles / Q000494:pharmacology; D008027:Light; D008297:Male; D018782:Maze Learning; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D010766:Phosphorylation
D007211:Indoles; D001569:Benzodiazepines; C025145:5-methoxy 3-(1,2,3,6-tetrahydro-4-pyridinyl)1H indole; D002707:Chlordiazepoxide; D017371:8-Hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin; D001640:Bicuculline