title: Relative luminosity in the plus maze upon the exploratory behaviour of female Wistar rats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study evaluated the provision of two configuration of the Elevated Pluz-Maze (EPM) by analizing the exploratory behaviour of female Wistar rats in different phases of the estrous cycle in EPMs with different gradients of luminosity between the open and enclosed arms (O/E∆Lux).
  
  
  METHODS
  Female Wistar rats were treated with Midazolam (MDZ, 1.0 mg.kg-1) and were tested for their exploratory behaviour in either the EPM 10 O/E∆Lux or EPM 96 O/E∆Lux.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A multiple regression analysis indicated that the O/E∆Lux is negatively associated with the %Open arm entries and %Open arm time, suggesting that as O/E∆Lux increases, the open arm exploration decreases. The estrous cycle phase did not influence the open-arm exploration in either EPM. MDZ- induced anxiolysis was detected in 96 O/E∆Lux EPM in all phases of the EC.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Results of this study suggest the importance of the O/E∆Lux to establish the arm preference in the EPM, and to preserve the predictive validity of the EPM.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Ciências Fisiológicas, Centro de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, SC, Brazil.
authors.forename: Diana Yae
authors.initials: DY
authors.lastname: Sakae
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Medicina, Universidade do Sul de Santa Catarina, Tubarao, SC, Brazil.
authors.forename: Thiago Mamoru
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Sakae
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Ciências Fisiológicas, Centro de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, SC, Brazil.
authors.forename: Marta Aparecida
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Paschoalini
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Ciências Fisiológicas, Centro de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, SC, Brazil.
authors.forename: Moacir Serralvo
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Faria
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001007:Anxiety / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D030762:Estrous Cycle / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D005106:Exploratory Behavior / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D008029:Lighting; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D008874:Midazolam / Q000627:therapeutic use; D023421:Models, Animal; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents; D008874:Midazolam