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Brown RE. Measuring the replicability of our own research. J Neurosci Methods 2024; 406:110111. [PMID: 38521128 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2024.110111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2024] [Revised: 03/08/2024] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 03/25/2024]
Abstract
In the study of transgenic mouse models of neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders, we use batteries of tests to measure deficits in behaviour and from the results of these tests, we make inferences about the mental states of the mice that we interpret as deficits in "learning", "memory", "anxiety", "depression", etc. This paper discusses the problems of determining whether a particular transgenic mouse is a valid mouse model of disease X, the problem of background strains, and the question of whether our behavioural tests are measuring what we say they are. The problem of the reliability of results is then discussed: are they replicable between labs and can we replicate our results in our own lab? This involves the study of intra- and inter- experimenter reliability. The variables that influence replicability and the importance of conducting a complete behavioural phenotype: sensory, motor, cognitive and social emotional behaviour are discussed. Then the thorny question of failure to replicate is examined: Is it a curse or a blessing? Finally, the role of failure in research and what it tells us about our research paradigms is examined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard E Brown
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada.
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2
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van Ingelgom T, Didone V, Godefroid L, Quertemont É. Effects of social housing conditions on ethanol-induced behavioral sensitization in Swiss mice. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2024; 241:987-1000. [PMID: 38206359 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-024-06527-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2023] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 01/12/2024]
Abstract
RATIONALE In previous animal model studies, it was shown that drug sensitization is dependent upon physical environmental conditions. However, the effects of social housing conditions on drug sensitization is much less known. OBJECTIVE The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of social conditions, through the size of housing groups, on ethanol stimulant effects and ethanol-induced behavioral sensitization in mice. MATERIALS AND METHODS Male and female Swiss mice were housed in groups of different sizes (isolated mice, two mice per cage, four mice per cage and eight mice per cage) during a six-week period. A standard paradigm of ethanol-induced locomotor sensitization was then started with one daily injection of 2.5 g/kg ethanol for 8 consecutive days. RESULTS The results show that social housing conditions affect the acute stimulant effects of ethanol. The highest stimulant effects were observed in socially isolated mice and then gradually decreased as the size of the group increased. Although the rate of ethanol sensitization did not differ between groups, the ultimate sensitized levels of ethanol-induced stimulant effects were significantly reduced in mice housed in groups of eight. CONCLUSIONS These results are consistent with the idea that higher levels of acute and sensitized ethanol stimulant effects are observed in mice housed in stressful housing conditions, such as social isolation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Théo van Ingelgom
- Psychologie et Neuroscience Cognitive (PsyNCog), Psychologie Quantitative, Université de Liège, Place des Orateurs 2 (B32), Liège, B-4000, Belgium
| | - Vincent Didone
- Psychologie et Neuroscience Cognitive (PsyNCog), Psychologie Quantitative, Université de Liège, Place des Orateurs 2 (B32), Liège, B-4000, Belgium
| | - Leeloo Godefroid
- Psychologie et Neuroscience Cognitive (PsyNCog), Psychologie Quantitative, Université de Liège, Place des Orateurs 2 (B32), Liège, B-4000, Belgium
| | - Étienne Quertemont
- Psychologie et Neuroscience Cognitive (PsyNCog), Psychologie Quantitative, Université de Liège, Place des Orateurs 2 (B32), Liège, B-4000, Belgium.
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3
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Mishra R, Bethunaickan R, Berthier CC, Yi Z, Strohl JJ, Huerta PT, Zhang W, Davidson A. Reversible dysregulation of renal circadian rhythm in lupus nephritis. Mol Med 2021; 27:99. [PMID: 34488619 PMCID: PMC8419890 DOI: 10.1186/s10020-021-00361-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2021] [Accepted: 08/23/2021] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND We have found disruption of expression of major transcriptional regulators of circadian rhythm in the kidneys of several mouse models of lupus nephritis. Here we define the consequence of this disturbance with respect to circadian gene expression and renal homeostatic function in a mouse model of lupus nephritis. METHODS Molecular profiling of kidneys from 47 young and 41 nephritic female NZB/W F1 mice was performed at 4 hourly intervals over a 24 h period. Disruption of major circadian transcriptional regulators was confirmed by qPCR. Molecular data was normalized and analyzed for rhythmicity using RAIN analysis. Serum aldosterone and glucose and urine sodium and potassium were measured at 4 hourly intervals in pre-nephritic and nephritic mice and blood pressure was measured every 4 h. Analyses were repeated after induction of complete remission of nephritis using combination cyclophosphamide and costimulatory blockade. RESULTS We show a profound alteration of renal circadian rhythms in mice with lupus nephritis affecting multiple renal pathways. Using Cosinor analysis we identified consequent alterations of renal homeostasis and metabolism as well as blood pressure dipper status. This circadian dysregulation was partially reversed by remission induction therapy. CONCLUSIONS Our studies indicate the role of inflammation in causing the circadian disruption and suggest that screening for loss of normal blood pressure dipping should be incorporated into LN management. The data also suggest a potential role for circadian agonists in the treatment of lupus nephritis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rakesh Mishra
- Institute for Molecular Medicine, Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, 350 Community Drive, Manhasset, NY, 11030, USA
| | - Ramalingam Bethunaickan
- Institute for Molecular Medicine, Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, 350 Community Drive, Manhasset, NY, 11030, USA
| | - Celine C Berthier
- Department of Internal Medicine, Nephrology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Zhengzi Yi
- Department of Medicine, Mount Sinai Medical Center, One Gustave L. Levy Place, P.O. Box 1243, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Joshua J Strohl
- Institute for Molecular Medicine, Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, 350 Community Drive, Manhasset, NY, 11030, USA
| | - Patricio T Huerta
- Institute for Molecular Medicine, Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, 350 Community Drive, Manhasset, NY, 11030, USA
| | - Weijia Zhang
- Department of Medicine, Mount Sinai Medical Center, One Gustave L. Levy Place, P.O. Box 1243, New York, NY, 10029, USA.
| | - Anne Davidson
- Institute for Molecular Medicine, Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, 350 Community Drive, Manhasset, NY, 11030, USA.
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4
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Impact of Light–Dark Phase on Delay Discounting Behavior in Rats. PSYCHOLOGICAL RECORD 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s40732-021-00462-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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5
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Comprehensive characterization of motor and coordination functions in three adolescent wild-type mouse strains. Sci Rep 2021; 11:6497. [PMID: 33753800 PMCID: PMC7985312 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-85858-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2021] [Accepted: 03/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuropsychiatric disorders are often associated with motor and coordination abnormalities that have important implications on the etiology, pathophysiology, and management of these disorders. Although the onset of many neuropsychiatric disorders including autism spectrum disorder, schizophrenia, and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder emerges mainly during infancy and adolescence, most of the behavioral studies in mice modeling neuropsychiatric phenotypes are performed in adult animals, possibly missing valuable phenotypic information related to the effect of synaptic maturation during development. Here, we examined which behavioral tests assessing both motor and coordination functions can be performed in mice at two different adolescent stages. As strain and sex affect mouse behavior, our experiments covered both male and female mice of three inbred wild-type strains, C57BL/6N, DBA/2, and FVB/N. Adolescent mice of both postnatal days (P)22-30 and P32-40 developmental stages were capable of mastering common motor and coordination tests. However, results differed significantly between strains and sexes. Moreover, the 10-day interval between the two tested cohorts uncovered a strong difference in the behavioral results, confirming the significant impact of maturation on behavioral patterns. Interestingly, the results of distinct behavioral experiments were directly correlated with the weight of mice, which may explain the lack of reproducibility of some behavioral results in genetically-modified mice. Our study paves the way for better reproducibility of behavioral tests by addressing the effect of the developmental stage, strain, sex, and weight of mice on achieving the face validity of neuropsychiatric disorder-associated motor dysfunctions.
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6
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Pritchett-Corning KR. Environmental Complexity and Research Outcomes. ILAR J 2020; 60:239-251. [PMID: 32559304 DOI: 10.1093/ilar/ilaa007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2019] [Revised: 01/28/2020] [Accepted: 02/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Environmental complexity is an experimental paradigm as well as a potential part of animals' everyday housing experiences. In experimental uses, researchers add complexity to stimulate brain development, delay degenerative brain changes, elicit more naturalistic behaviors, and test learning and memory. Complexity can exacerbate or mitigate behavioral problems, give animals a sense of control, and allow for expression of highly driven, species-typical behaviors that can improve animal welfare. Complex environments should be designed thoughtfully with the animal's natural behaviors in mind, reported faithfully in the literature, and evaluated carefully for unexpected effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathleen R Pritchett-Corning
- Office of Animal Resources, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts.,Department of Comparative Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
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7
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Capri KM, Maroni MJ, Deane HV, Pierre A, Adams AM, Goncalves FL, Meyer AS, Seggio JA. Effects of time of day and constant light on the behavioral responses and ethanol metabolism to acute alcohol administration in male Black Swiss mice. BIOL RHYTHM RES 2018. [DOI: 10.1080/09291016.2018.1543640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Kimberly M. Capri
- Department of Biological Sciences, Bridgewater State University, Bridgewater, MA, USA
| | - Marissa J. Maroni
- Department of Biological Sciences, Bridgewater State University, Bridgewater, MA, USA
| | - Hannah V. Deane
- Department of Biological Sciences, Bridgewater State University, Bridgewater, MA, USA
| | - Audeline Pierre
- Department of Biological Sciences, Bridgewater State University, Bridgewater, MA, USA
| | - Abigail M. Adams
- Department of Mathematics, Bridgewater State University, Bridgewater, MA, USA
| | - Fatiana L. Goncalves
- Department of Biological Sciences, Bridgewater State University, Bridgewater, MA, USA
| | - Andrew S. Meyer
- Department of Biological Sciences, Bridgewater State University, Bridgewater, MA, USA
| | - Joseph A. Seggio
- Department of Biological Sciences, Bridgewater State University, Bridgewater, MA, USA
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8
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Hawkins P, Golledge HDR. The 9 to 5 Rodent - Time for Change? Scientific and animal welfare implications of circadian and light effects on laboratory mice and rats. J Neurosci Methods 2017; 300:20-25. [PMID: 28502554 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2017.05.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2017] [Revised: 05/07/2017] [Accepted: 05/09/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Rodents, particularly rats and mice, are the most commonly used laboratory animals and are extensively used in neuroscience research, including as translational models for human disorders. It is common practice to carry out scientific procedures on rats and mice during the daytime, which is the inactive period for these nocturnal species. However, there is increasing evidence for circadian and light-induced effects on rodent physiology and behaviour which may affect the validity of results obtained from mice and rats in neuroscience studies. For example, testing animals during their inactive periods may produce abnormal results due to cognitive deficits, lack of motivation to perform the task or stress from being disturbed during the resting period. In addition, conducting procedures during an animal's resting period may also pose an animal welfare issue, as procedures may be experienced as more stressful than if these were done during the active phase. In this paper we set out the need to consider the impact of time of day and lighting conditions, when scientific procedures or routine husbandry are performed, on both the welfare of mice and rats used in neuroscience research and on data quality. Wherever possible, husbandry and experimental procedures should be conducted at times of day when the animals would be active, and under naturalistic lighting conditions, to minimise stress and maximise data quality and translatability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Penny Hawkins
- Research Animals Department, Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Southwater, UK.
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9
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Stewart AM, Kaluyeva AA, Poudel MK, Nguyen M, Song C, Kalueff AV. Building Zebrafish Neurobehavioral Phenomics: Effects of Common Environmental Factors on Anxiety and Locomotor Activity. Zebrafish 2015; 12:339-48. [DOI: 10.1089/zeb.2015.1106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Adam Michael Stewart
- International Zebrafish Neuroscience Research Consortium (ZNRC), ZENEREI Institute, Slidell, Louisiana
| | - Alexandra A. Kaluyeva
- International Zebrafish Neuroscience Research Consortium (ZNRC), ZENEREI Institute, Slidell, Louisiana
| | - Manoj K. Poudel
- International Zebrafish Neuroscience Research Consortium (ZNRC), ZENEREI Institute, Slidell, Louisiana
| | - Michael Nguyen
- International Zebrafish Neuroscience Research Consortium (ZNRC), ZENEREI Institute, Slidell, Louisiana
| | - Cai Song
- Research Institute for Marine Drugs and Nutrition, College of Food Science and Technology, Guangdong Ocean University (GDOU), Zhanjiang, China
| | - Allan V. Kalueff
- International Zebrafish Neuroscience Research Consortium (ZNRC), ZENEREI Institute, Slidell, Louisiana
- Research Institute for Marine Drugs and Nutrition, College of Food Science and Technology, Guangdong Ocean University (GDOU), Zhanjiang, China
- Institute of Translational Biomedicine, St. Petersburg State University (SPSU), St. Petersburg, Russia
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10
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Loss CM, Binder LB, Muccini E, Martins WC, de Oliveira PA, Vandresen-Filho S, Prediger RD, Tasca CI, Zimmer ER, Costa-Schmidt LE, de Oliveira DL, Viola GG. Influence of environmental enrichment vs. time-of-day on behavioral repertoire of male albino Swiss mice. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2015; 125:63-72. [PMID: 26247375 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2015.07.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2015] [Revised: 06/30/2015] [Accepted: 07/24/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Environmental enrichment (EE) is a non-pharmacological manipulation that promotes diverse forms of benefits in the central nervous system of captive animals. It is thought that EE influences animal behavior in a specie-(strain)-specific manner. Since rodents in general present different behaviors during distinct periods of the day, in this study we aimed to investigate the influence of time-of-day on behavioral repertoire of Swiss mice that reared in EE. Forty male Swiss mice (21days old) were housed in standard (SC) or enriched conditions (EC) for 60days. Behavioral assessments were conducted during the light phase (in presence of light) or dark phase (in absence of light) in the following tasks: open field, object recognition and elevated plus maze. First, we observed that the locomotor and exploratory activities are distinct between SC and EC groups only during the light phase. Second, we observed that "self-protective behaviors" were increased in EC group only when mice were tested during the light phase. However, "less defensive behaviors" were not affected by both housing conditions and time-of-day. Third, we showed that the performance of EE animals in object recognition task was improved in both light and dark conditions. Our findings highlight that EE-induced alterations in exploratory and emotional behaviors are just evident during light conditions. However, EE-induced cognitive benefits are remarkable even during dark conditions, when exploratory and emotional behaviors were similar between groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cássio Morais Loss
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
| | - Luisa Bandeira Binder
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, SC, Brazil.
| | - Eduarda Muccini
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, SC, Brazil.
| | - Wagner Carbolin Martins
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Neurociências, Centro de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, SC, Brazil.
| | | | - Samuel Vandresen-Filho
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Neurociências, Centro de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, SC, Brazil; Departamento de Ciências Básicas em Saúde, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso, Cuiabá, MT, Brazil.
| | - Rui Daniel Prediger
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, SC, Brazil.
| | - Carla Inês Tasca
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, SC, Brazil; Programa de Pós-Graduação em Neurociências, Centro de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, SC, Brazil.
| | - Eduardo R Zimmer
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
| | - Luiz Ernesto Costa-Schmidt
- Laboratorio de Biología Reproductiva y Evolución, Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal - IDEA/CONICET, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba - UNC, Vélez Sarsfield 299, 5000 Córdoba, Argentina; Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia, Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos - UNISINOS, São Leopoldo, RS, Brazil.
| | - Diogo Losch de Oliveira
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
| | - Giordano Gubert Viola
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Neurociências, Centro de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, SC, Brazil; Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Campus Curitibanos, Curitibanos, SC, Brazil; Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Fisiológicas, Centro de Ciências Biológica, Universidade Federal do Sergipe, São Cristóvão, SE, Brazil.
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11
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Animal Models of Depression and Drug Delivery with Food as an Effective Dosing Method: Evidences from Studies with Celecoxib and Dicholine Succinate. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2015; 2015:596126. [PMID: 26064929 PMCID: PMC4433645 DOI: 10.1155/2015/596126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2014] [Accepted: 12/05/2014] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Multiple models of human neuropsychiatric pathologies have been generated during the last decades which frequently use chronic dosing. Unfortunately, some drug administration methods may result in undesirable effects creating analysis confounds hampering model validity and preclinical assay outcomes. Here, automated analysis of floating behaviour, a sign of a depressive-like state, revealed that mice, subjected to a three-week intraperitoneal injection regimen, had increased floating. In order to probe an alternative dosing design that would preclude this effect, we studied the efficacy of a low dose of the antidepressant imipramine (7 mg/kg/day) delivered via food pellets. Antidepressant action for this treatment was found while no other behavioural effects were observed. We further investigated the potential efficacy of chronic dosing via food pellets by testing the antidepressant activity of new drug candidates, celecoxib (30 mg/kg/day) and dicholine succinate (50 mg/kg/day), against standard antidepressants, imipramine (7 mg/kg/day) and citalopram (15 mg/kg/day), utilizing the forced swim and tail suspension tests. Antidepressant effects of these compounds were found in both assays. Thus, chronic dosing via food pellets is efficacious in small rodents, even with a low drug dose design, and can prevail against potential confounds in translational research within depression models applicable to adverse chronic invasive pharmacotherapies.
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12
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Experimenter effects on behavioral test scores of eight inbred mouse strains under the influence of ethanol. Behav Brain Res 2014; 272:46-54. [PMID: 24933191 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2014.06.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2014] [Revised: 06/06/2014] [Accepted: 06/08/2014] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Eight standard inbred mouse strains were evaluated for ethanol effects on a refined battery of behavioral tests in a study that was originally designed to assess the influence of rat odors in the colony on mouse behaviors. As part of the design of the study, two experimenters conducted the tests, and the study was carefully balanced so that equal numbers of mice in all groups and times of day were tested by each experimenter. A defect in airflow in the facility compromised the odor manipulation, and in fact the different odor exposure groups did not differ in their behaviors. The two experimenters, however, obtained markedly different results for three of the tests. Certain of the experimenter effects arose from the way they judged behaviors that were not automated and had to be rated by the experimenter, such as slips on the balance beam. Others were not evident prior to ethanol injection but had a major influence after the injection. For several measures, the experimenter effects were notably different for different inbred strains. Methods to evaluate and reduce the impact of experimenter effects in future research are discussed.
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Simonet JC, Sunnen CN, Wu J, Golden JA, Marsh ED. Conditional Loss of Arx From the Developing Dorsal Telencephalon Results in Behavioral Phenotypes Resembling Mild Human ARX Mutations. Cereb Cortex 2014; 25:2939-50. [PMID: 24794919 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhu090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Mutations in the Aristaless-Related Homeobox (ARX) gene cause structural anomalies of the brain, epilepsy, and neurocognitive deficits in children. During forebrain development, Arx is expressed in both pallial and subpallial progenitor cells. We previously demonstrated that elimination of Arx from subpallial-derived cortical interneurons generates an epilepsy phenotype with features overlapping those seen in patients with ARX mutations. In this report, we have selectively removed Arx from pallial progenitor cells that give rise to the cerebral cortical projection neurons. While no discernable seizure activity was recorded, these mice exhibited a peculiar constellation of behaviors. They are less anxious, less social, and more active when compared with their wild-type littermates. The overall cortical thickness was reduced, and the corpus callosum and anterior commissure were hypoplastic, consistent with a perturbation in cortical connectivity. Taken together, these data suggest that some of the structural and behavioral anomalies, common in patients with ARX mutations, are specifically due to alterations in pallial progenitor function. Furthermore, our data demonstrate that some of the neurobehavioral features found in patients with ARX mutations may not be due to on-going seizures, as is often postulated, given that epilepsy was eliminated as a confounding variable in these behavior analyses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacqueline C Simonet
- Cell and Molecular Biology Graduate Group, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - C Nicole Sunnen
- Department of Pathology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Jue Wu
- Department of Radiology, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Jeffrey A Golden
- Department of Pathology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Eric D Marsh
- Division of Child Neurology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Department of Neurology and Pediatrics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA Current address: Division of Child Neurology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, 3615 Civic Center Boulevard, Philadelphia, PA 19072, USA
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The Directive 2010/63/EU on animal experimentation may skew the conclusions of pharmacological and behavioural studies. Sci Rep 2014; 3:2380. [PMID: 23924859 PMCID: PMC3737502 DOI: 10.1038/srep02380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2013] [Accepted: 07/10/2013] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
All laboratory animals shall be provided some form of environmental enrichment (EE) in the nearest future (Directive 2010/63/EU). Displacing standard housing with EE entails the possibility that data obtained under traditional housing may be reconsidered. Specifically, while EE often contrasts the abnormalities of consolidated disease models, it also indirectly demonstrates that their validity depends on housing conditions. We mimicked a situation in which the consequences of a novel pharmacological compound were addressed before and after the adoption of the Directive. We sub-chronically exposed standard- or EE-reared adolescent CD1 mice (postnatal days 23-33) to the synthetic compound JWH-018, and evaluated its short- and long-term potential cannabinoid properties on: weight gain, locomotion, analgesia, motor coordination, body temperature, brain metabolism (1H MRI/MRS), anxiety- and depressive-related behaviours. While several parameters are modulated by JWH-018 independently of housing, other effects are environmentally mediated. The transition from standard housing to EE shall be carefully monitored.
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15
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Carver AR, Tamayo E, Perez‐Polo JR, Saade GR, Hankins GD, Costantine MM. The effect of maternal pravastatin therapy on adverse sensorimotor outcomes of the offspring in a murine model of preeclampsia. Int J Dev Neurosci 2013; 33:33-40. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijdevneu.2013.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2013] [Revised: 10/10/2013] [Accepted: 11/05/2013] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Alissa R. Carver
- University of Texas Medical Branch301 University DriveGalvestonTX77555USA
| | - Esther Tamayo
- University of Texas Medical Branch301 University DriveGalvestonTX77555USA
| | | | - George R. Saade
- University of Texas Medical Branch301 University DriveGalvestonTX77555USA
| | - Gary D.V. Hankins
- University of Texas Medical Branch301 University DriveGalvestonTX77555USA
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Location- and sex-specific differences in weight and motor coordination in two commonly used mouse strains. Sci Rep 2013; 3:2116. [PMID: 23817037 PMCID: PMC3698490 DOI: 10.1038/srep02116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2013] [Accepted: 06/13/2013] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Several studies have shown that environmental factors can affect the outcome of behavioral experiments, shedding doubts on the inter-laboratory reproducibility of behavioral test results. When our laboratory moved from the University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, to Sanford Research in Sioux Falls, SD, our mouse colony was also transferred and the new environment caused strain-dependent changes in the weight, motor coordination and motor learning capability of mice. Here we report the observed changes for two wild type mouse strains commonly used in transgenic studies, C57BL/6J and 129S6/SvEv, and show that the type of rodent diet is partially responsible for the geographical location-specific differences. We also found sex-specific differences in weight and motor coordination in both mouse strains. Our results show that environmental factors specific to a geographical location can change the body weight, motor coordination and motor learning capability of wild type mice commonly used as controls in transgenic studies.
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Crabbe JC, Kruse LC, Colville AM, Cameron AJ, Spence SE, Schlumbohm JP, Huang LC, Metten P. Ethanol sensitivity in high drinking in the dark selectively bred mice. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2012; 36:1162-70. [PMID: 22316249 PMCID: PMC3349784 DOI: 10.1111/j.1530-0277.2012.01735.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2011] [Accepted: 12/02/2011] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Mouse lines are being selectively bred in replicate for high blood ethanol concentrations (BECs) achieved after a short period of ethanol (EtOH) drinking early in the circadian dark phase. High Drinking in the Dark-1 (HDID-1) mice were in selected generation S18, and the replicate HDID-2 line in generation S11. METHODS To determine other traits genetically correlated with high DID, we compared naïve animals from both lines with the unselected, segregating progenitor stock, HS/Npt. Differences between HDID-1 and HS would imply commonality of genetic influences on DID and these traits. RESULTS HDID-1 mice showed less basal activity, greater EtOH stimulated activity, and greater sensitivity to EtOH-induced foot slips than HS. They showed lesser sensitivity to acute EtOH hypothermia and longer duration loss of righting reflex than HS. HDID-1 and control HS lines did not differ in sensitivity on 2 measures of intoxication, the balance beam and the accelerating rotarod. None of the acute response results could be explained by differences in EtOH metabolism. HDID-2 differed from HS on some, but not all, of the above responses. CONCLUSIONS These results show that some EtOH responses share common genetic control with reaching high BECs after DID, a finding consistent with other data regarding genetic contributions to EtOH responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- John C Crabbe
- Portland Alcohol Research Center, Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, and VA Medical Center, Portland, OR 97239, USA.
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Nader J, Claudia C, Rawas RE, Favot L, Jaber M, Thiriet N, Solinas M, Solinas M. Loss of environmental enrichment increases vulnerability to cocaine addiction. Neuropsychopharmacology 2012; 37:1579-87. [PMID: 22334125 PMCID: PMC3358749 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2012.2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Life experiences, especially during critical periods of maturation, such as adolescence, can dramatically affect vulnerability to diseases at adulthood. Early exposure to positive environmental conditions such as environmental enrichment (EE) has been shown to reduce the occurrence and the intensity of neurological and psychiatric disorders including drug addiction. However, whether or not exposure to EE during early stages of life would protect from addiction when, at adulthood, individuals may find themselves in non-enriched conditions has not been investigated. Here we show that switching mice from EE to non-enriched standard environments not only results in the loss of the preventive effects of EE but also increases the rewarding effects of cocaine. This enhanced vulnerability is associated with emotional distress and with increased levels in the mRNA levels of corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST), as well as with increases in CREB phosphorylation in the BNST and in the shell of the nucleus accumbens. The increased sensitivity to the rewarding effects of cocaine is completely blocked by the CRF antagonist antalarmin, confirming a major role of the CRF system in the negative consequences of this environmental switch. These results indicate that positive life conditions during early stages of life, if they are not maintained at adulthood, may have negative emotional consequences and increase the risks to develop drug addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joëlle Nader
- INSERM U-1084, Experimental and Clinical Neurosciences Laboratory, Neurobiology and Neuropharmacology Addiction Group, Poitiers, France,Institut de Biologie et Physiologie Cellulaires, CNRS, Poitiers, France,University of Poitiers, 1 Rue Georges Bonnet, Poitiers, France
| | - Chauvet Claudia
- Institut de Biologie et Physiologie Cellulaires, CNRS, Poitiers, France,University of Poitiers, 1 Rue Georges Bonnet, Poitiers, France
| | - Rana El Rawas
- Institut de Biologie et Physiologie Cellulaires, CNRS, Poitiers, France,University of Poitiers, 1 Rue Georges Bonnet, Poitiers, France
| | - Laure Favot
- University of Poitiers, 1 Rue Georges Bonnet, Poitiers, France,Laboratoire Inflammation, Tissus Epithéliaux et Cytokines, Poitiers, France
| | - Mohamed Jaber
- INSERM U-1084, Experimental and Clinical Neurosciences Laboratory, Neurobiology and Neuropharmacology Addiction Group, Poitiers, France,Institut de Biologie et Physiologie Cellulaires, CNRS, Poitiers, France,University of Poitiers, 1 Rue Georges Bonnet, Poitiers, France
| | - Nathalie Thiriet
- INSERM U-1084, Experimental and Clinical Neurosciences Laboratory, Neurobiology and Neuropharmacology Addiction Group, Poitiers, France,Institut de Biologie et Physiologie Cellulaires, CNRS, Poitiers, France,University of Poitiers, 1 Rue Georges Bonnet, Poitiers, France,INSERM U-1084, Experimental and Clinical Neurosciences Laboratory, Neurobiology and Neuropharmacology Addiction Group, Université de Poitiers, 1 Rue George Bonnet, 86022, Poitiers, France, Tel: 33 5 49 36 62 09, Fax: 33 5 49 45 40 14, E-mail:
| | - Marcello Solinas
- INSERM U-1084, Experimental and Clinical Neurosciences Laboratory, Neurobiology and Neuropharmacology Addiction Group, Poitiers, France,Institut de Biologie et Physiologie Cellulaires, CNRS, Poitiers, France,University of Poitiers, 1 Rue Georges Bonnet, Poitiers, France
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Bohlen MO, Bailoo JD, Jordan RL, Wahlsten D. Hippocampal commissure defects in crosses of four inbred mouse strains with absent corpus callosum. GENES BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR 2012; 11:757-66. [PMID: 22537318 DOI: 10.1111/j.1601-183x.2012.00802.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
It is known that four common inbred mouse strains show defects of the forebrain commissures. The BALB/cJ strain has a low frequency of abnormally small corpus callosum, whereas the 129 strains have many animals with deficient corpus callosum. The I/LnJ and BTBR T+ tf/J strains never have a corpus callosum, whereas half of I/LnJ and almost all BTBR show severely reduced size of the hippocampal commissure. Certain F1 hybrid crosses among these strains are known to be less severely abnormal than the inbred parents, suggesting that the parent strains have different genetic causes of commissure defects. In this study, all hybrid crosses among the four strains were investigated. The BTBR × I/Ln hybrid expressed almost no defects of the hippocampal commissure, unlike its inbred parent strains. Numerous three-way crosses among the four strains yielded many mice with no corpus callosum and severely reduced hippocampal commissure, which shows that the phenotypic defect can result from several different combinations of genetic alleles. The F2 and F3 hybrid crosses of BTBR and I/LnJ had almost 100% absence of the corpus callosum but about 50% frequency of deficient hippocampal commissure. The four-way hybrid cross among all four abnormal strains involved highly fertile parents and yielded a very wide phenotypic range of defects from almost no hippocampal commissure to totally normal forebrain commissures. The F2 and F3 crosses as well as the four-way cross provide excellent material for studies of genetic linkage and behavioral consequences of commissure defects.
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Affiliation(s)
- M O Bohlen
- Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina, Greensboro, NC 27412, USA
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