title: Pharmacological evaluation of the adequacy of marble burying as an animal model of compulsion and/or anxiety.
abstract: Marble-burying behavior in rodents has been used commonly as an animal model of compulsive and/or anxiety behavior. The purpose of this study was to further assess the adequacy of marble burying as a preclinical animal model of compulsive behaviors using pharmacological tools. In particular, we were interested in whether dopamine D2/D3 agonists (e.g. pramipexole) known to produce compulsive behaviors in humans would increase marble burying. The effects of pramipexole on marble-burying behavior and locomotor activity were compared with those of the following: diazepam, a drug known to decrease marble burying; D-amphetamine, a stimulant that increases locomotor activity; and methyl β-carboline-3-carboxylate, a β-carboline previously shown to produce anxiogenic effects in rodents. All drugs produced dose-dependent decreases in marble burying, which were not always related to the locomotor effects of these drugs. The inability of pramipexole and methyl β-carboline-3-carboxylate to increase marble burying questions the validity of this assay as an adequate animal model of compulsive and/or anxiety behavior.
authors.affiliation: University of Michigan, Michigan, USA. c.jimenez-gomez@auckland.ac.nz
authors.forename: Corina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jimenez-Gomez
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Osentoski
authors.forename: James H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Woods
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D001007:Anxiety / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects*; D052160:Benzothiazoles / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002243:Carbolines / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000633:toxicity; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants / Q000494:pharmacology; D003192:Compulsive Behavior / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology; D003292:Convulsants / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000633:toxicity; D003913:Dextroamphetamine / Q000494:pharmacology; D003975:Diazepam / Q000494:pharmacology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D018491:Dopamine Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D009043:Motor Activity; D009771:Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology; D000077487:Pramipexole; D015203:Reproducibility of Results
chemical_list: D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents; D052160:Benzothiazoles; D002243:Carbolines; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants; D003292:Convulsants; D018491:Dopamine Agonists; D000077487:Pramipexole; C036150:beta-carboline-3-carboxylic acid methyl ester; D003975:Diazepam; D003913:Dextroamphetamine