title: An automated evaluation system for analyzing antinociceptive effects on intracolonic capsaicin-induced visceral pain-related licking behavior in mice.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The development of automated detection systems for animal behaviors is increasing in value in terms of saving time, objective analysis and reducing the need for well-trained experimenters. SCLABA(®) (Noveltec Inc., Kobe, Japan) is a commercially available analysis system originally developed for analyzing scratching behaviors in rodents, based on distances between points in videotaped images. Here, we used this software to automate analysis of abdominal licking behavior associated with visceral pain in mice.
  
  
  METHODS
  Yellow and green spots were applied to the snout and the lower abdominal region of mice respectively to provide reference points for automated analysis of video recordings. Abdominal licking behavior after intracolonic administration of 0.3% capsaicin solution as a measure of visceral pain was determined based on changes in the inter-spot distance.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A distance threshold between the colored spots was chosen based on manual measurements showing that 99% of minimal distances were below this threshold. Using this threshold, the number of licks determined by the automated analysis significantly and positively correlated with that determined by manual observation (R(2)=0.95 and p<0.001). The neurokinin-1 receptor antagonist GR205171A dose-dependently inhibited capsaicin-induced licking detected by automated analysis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We demonstrated that visceral pain-related licking behaviors after intracolonic capsaicin treatment can be automatically detected by applying commercially available image analysis software. This automated experimental system is very efficient and useful to evaluate antinociceptive effect of a test compound on visceral pain.
authors: Clinical Research Department 3, Development & Medical Affairs Division, GlaxoSmithKline K.K., GSK Bldg., Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, 151-8566, Japan.
authors: Etsuko
authors: E
authors: Hayashi
authors: Tomohiro
authors: T
authors: Kobayashi
authors: Yasuteru
authors: Y
authors: Shiroshita
authors: Kazuyoshi
authors: K
authors: Kuratani
authors: Mine
authors: M
authors: Kinoshita
authors: Hideaki
authors: H
authors: Hara
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001331:Automation; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects*; D002211:Capsaicin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003106:Colon / Q000378:metabolism; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D064729:Neurokinin-1 Receptor Antagonists; D010147:Pain Measurement; D017288:Pain Threshold; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012984:Software; D013373:Substance P / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D059265:Visceral Pain / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D064729:Neurokinin-1 Receptor Antagonists; D010446:Peptide Fragments; C496429:substance P (6-11), Tyr(6)-D-Phe(7)-D-His(9)-; D013373:Substance P; D002211:Capsaicin