title: Microstructure of rat behavioral response to anxiety in hole-board.
abstract: Aim of present research was to assess, by means of descriptive and multivariate approaches, in Wistar rats tested in hole-board apparatus, whether a microstructure of hole-exploratory behavior may be identified in the behavioral response to anxiety. Two groups of 15 subjects were tested: one received 1 ml of saline IP and one was IP injected with diazepam at 0.5 mg/kg dissolved in 1 ml of saline. Following saline, six not yet reported hole-exploratory components were identified: active-dip, static-dip, rapid-dip, circular-sniff, point-sniff and central-sniff. Diazepam provoked significant changes of their per cent distribution. Results of multivariate analyses revealed a complex microstructure of hole-exploratory elements characterized by behavioral flows between sniffing and dipping patterns. Diazepam significantly modified several patternings, mainly those involving point-sniff and static-dip. Hence, the hypothesis of an important role of such behavioral elements and of their patternings, in anxiety-related hole-exploratory behavior, can be proposed. It is suggested that modifications of point-sniff and static-dip patternings could evidence even subtle changes of animal anxiety condition.
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Biomedicine and Clinical Neurosciences, Human Physiology Section, University of Palermo, Corso Tukory 129, 90134 Palermo, Italy. m.casarrubea@unipa.it
authors.forename: Maurizio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Casarrubea
authors.forename: Filippina
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sorbera
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Santangelo
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Crescimanno
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001007:Anxiety / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D003975:Diazepam / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005106:Exploratory Behavior / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D011336:Probability; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D014741:Video Recording / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents; D003975:Diazepam