title: Modeling mania: Further validation for Black Swiss mice as model animals.
abstract: The paucity of appropriate animal models for bipolar disorder hinders the research of the disorder and its treatments. Previous work suggests that Black Swiss (BS) mice may be a suitable model animal for behavioral domains of mania including reward-seeking, risk-taking, vigor, aggression and sensitivity to psychostimulants. These behaviors are high in BS mice compared with other strains and are responsive to the mood stabilizers lithium and valproate but not to the antidepressant imipramine. The current study evaluated the etiological validity of this model by assessing brain expression of two proteins implicated in affective disorders, β-catenin and BDNF, in BS mice versus C57bl/6, A/J and CBA/J mice. Additionally, pharmacological validity was further tested by assessing the effects of risperidone in a behavioral battery of tests. β-catenin and BDNF expression were evaluated in the frontal cortex and hippocampus of untreated BS, CBA/J, A/J and C57bl/6 mice by western blot. Subchronic 0.1 and 0.3mg/kg doses of risperidone were tested in a battery of behavioral tests for domains of mania. Expression of β-catenin was found to be lower in the hippocampus of BS mice compared with the other strains. Reduced β-catenin expression was not observed in the frontal cortex. BDNF expression levels were similar between strains in both the hippocampus and frontal cortex. In the behavioral tests, risperidone ameliorated amphetamine-induced hyperactivity without affecting other tests in the battery. These results offer additional pharmacological and possible etiological validity supporting the utilization of Black Swiss mice as a model for domains of mania.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy Practice and Pharmaceutical Science, College of Pharmacy, Duluth, University of Minnesota, Duluth, MN 55812, USA.
authors.forename: Chelsey
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hannah-Poquette
authors.forename: Grant W
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.forename: Shlomit
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Flaisher-Grinberg
authors.forename: Jia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Tonya M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Meinerding
authors.forename: Haim
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Einat
mesh_terms: D000661:Amphetamine / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D021461:Animals, Outbred Strains / Q000378:metabolism / Q000523:psychology*; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000378:metabolism*; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000096:biosynthesis; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000378:metabolism; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008808:Mice, Inbred CBA; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D018967:Risperidone / Q000494:pharmacology; D013045:Species Specificity; D051176:beta Catenin / Q000096:biosynthesis
chemical_list: D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; D051176:beta Catenin; D000661:Amphetamine; D018967:Risperidone