title: [Pup-Associated Conditioned Place Preference and Maternal Behavior in Depressive WAG/Rij Rats].
abstract: Elaboration of conditioned place preference (CPP) associated with own and foster pups, and maternal behavior were compared in females of WAG/Rij and Wistar rats. In addition, behavior of females in the open field, elevated plus-maze and forced swimming tests were investigated before pregnancy and after pup delivery. In has been found that females of WAG/Rij rats elaborate worse CPP task associated with both their own (WAG/Rij) and foster (Wistar) pups. Thus, the number of females that increase time spent in initially non-preferred compartment after its association with pups and the number of females that reach criterion of CPP elaboration in WAG/Rij rats were less than in Wistar controls. WAG/Rij females exhibited less maternal care in the place preference test both to their own and foster pups: less number of approaches to pups, pups carrying and the time spent in contact with pups non-associated with feeding. In WAG/Rij females compared with Wistar controls immobility time in the forced swimming test was higher both before pregnancy and after pup delivery indicating a stable depression-like state. Before pregnancy, statistically significant inter-strain differences in the anxiety level have not been revealed. After pup delivery, in WAG/Rij females anxiety level decreased but in Wistar females didn't substantially change. Results suggest that worse elaboration of CPP task and reduced maternal care in depressive WAG/Rij females are not associated with specific features of their own pups but are due to their depression-like state. Put into other words, pups for depressive mothers are less potent reinforcer than for "normal" (non-depressive) mothers.
authors.forename: K Yu
authors.initials: KY
authors.lastname: Sarkisova
authors.forename: K K
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Tanaeva
authors.forename: Yu V
authors.initials: YV
authors.lastname: Dobryakova
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D003213:Conditioning, Psychological; D003863:Depression / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D008425:Maternal Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D018782:Maze Learning; D011247:Pregnancy; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013045:Species Specificity; D013550:Swimming