Reduction of abnormal behavioral response to brief restraint by information from other mice in dystrophin-deficient mdx mice.
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.
Yamamoto
Kazuhiro
K
Department of Degenerative Neurological Diseases, National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, 4-1-1 Ogawahigashi, Kodaira, Tokyo 187-8502, Japan.
Yamada
Daisuke
D
Kabuta
Tomohiro
T
Takahashi
Akio
A
Wada
Keiji
K
Sekiguchi
Masayuki
M
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*
D016189:Dystrophin; D003345:Corticosterone