title: Reduction of abnormal behavioral response to brief restraint by information from other mice in dystrophin-deficient mdx mice.
abstract: We recently reported that dystrophin-deficient mdx mice exhibited a hypersensitive freezing response to fearful events such as brief restraint. In the present study, we ethologically characterized the restraint-induced freezing response in mdx mice. This response was evident when restrained mdx mice were released into a new cage or their home cage, but it was remarkably reduced in cages in which other individuals (wild-type mice that had never been reared with the tested mice) had been reared (the resident mice were removed prior to testing). Reciprocally, exploratory behaviors of restrained mdx mice were outstandingly enhanced in the cages in which other individuals had been reared, suggesting the possibility that scent deposited by residents induced exploration in mdx mice. These results suggest that restraint-induced freezing response in mdx mice is influenced by the attention state of the mouse.
authors.affiliation: Department of Degenerative Neurological Diseases, National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, 4-1-1 Ogawahigashi, Kodaira, Tokyo 187-8502, Japan.
authors.forename: Kazuhiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.forename: Daisuke
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Yamada
authors.forename: Tomohiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kabuta
authors.forename: Akio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: Keiji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wada
authors.forename: Masayuki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sekiguchi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D001923:Brain Chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D003345:Corticosterone / Q000378:metabolism; D016189:Dystrophin / Q000235:genetics*; D005106:Exploratory Behavior / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018101:Mice, Inbred mdx / Q000523:psychology*; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology; D010641:Phenotype; D012149:Restraint, Physical; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D012903:Smell / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000235:genetics* / Q000523:psychology*
chemical_list: D016189:Dystrophin; D003345:Corticosterone