Effect of ambient temperature on anxiety and social interaction in Wistar rats

• Grant number: 16/19536-6
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: December 01, 2016
• End date: November 30, 2017
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Physiology - General Physiology
• Principal Investigator: Maria Camila Almeida
• Grantee: Larissa Gardiano Lima
• Host Institution: Centro de Ciências Naturais e Humanas (CCNH). Universidade Federal do ABC (UFABC). Ministério da Educação (Brasil). Santo André , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Anxiety is a normal emotion in threatening conditions and is considered a survival reaction. In some circumstances, however, the anxiety is irrational and can be a response to stressful situations. It is known that living organisms are constantly exposed to changes in ambient temperature and that can influence a variety of physiological and pathophysiological functions as well as various behaviors. Thus, the present study aims to investigate the effects of chronic exposure to mild cold (20° C, subneutral temperature) and moderate warmth (30ºC, supraneutral temperature) on the state of anxiety and social interaction of Wistar rats and to evaluate the activation of regions in the central nervous system related to thermoregulation and anxiety behavior. The elevated plus maze, open field and social interaction test, as well as for immunohistochemistry evaluation of molecular alterations (c-Fos expression) will be used in this design. (AU)