Anxiety levels and wild running susceptibility in rats: assessment with elevated plus maze test and predator odor exposure
- 作者：de Paula ; Hugo Medeiros Garrido ; Gouveia ; Amauri ; de Almeida ; Marcos Viní ; cius ; Hoshino ; Katsumasa
- 关键词：Anxiety ; Elevated-plus maze ; Panic ; Predator odor ; Rat ; Wild running
- 刊名：Behavioural Processes
- 出版年：2005
- 期刊代码：4_03766357
- 类别：neu
- 出版时间：February 28, 2005
- 卷：68
- 期：2
- 页码：135-144
- 文件大小：117 K
摘要
It is reported in the literature that nearly 20%of rats are susceptible to displays of wild running (WR) behavior when submitted to high intensity acoustic stimulation. Some characteristics of WR suggest that it can be viewed as a panic-like reaction. This work aimed to test whether WR-sensitive rats show higher levels of anxiety in elevated-plus-maze (EPM) and predator–odor exposure paradigms in comparison with WR-resistant ones. Male adult Wistar rats were submitted to two trials of acoustic stimulation (104dB, 60s) in order to assess WR susceptibility. Seven WR-sensitive and 15 WR-resistant rats were evaluated by the EPM test. Other 13 WR-sensitive and 18 WR-resistant animals were submitted to the predator–odor exposure test which consisted of a 10min-session of free exploration in a specific apparatus containing two odoriferous stimuli: cotton swab imbedded with snake cloacal gland secretion or with iguana feces (control). WR-sensitive rats presented a significantly higher closed-to open-arm-entry ratio in the EPM test. All rats responded with anxiety-like behaviors to the predator odor exposure, although the WR-sensitive ones showed a marked behavioral inhibition regardless of the odor condition. We conclude that WR-sensitive rats present elevated levels of anxiety manifested by means of passive behavioral strategies.