Exploring the light/dark box test: Protocols and implications for neuroscience research

Autor(es)

Campos-Cardoso, Rodrigo ; Godoy, Livea Dornela ; Lazarini-Lopes, Willian ; Novaes, Leonardo Santana ; dos Santos, Nilton Barreto ; Perfetti, Juliano Genaro ; Garcia-Cairasco, Norberto ; Munhoz, Carolina Demarchi ; Padovan, Claudia Maria

• Tipo de documento: Artigo Científico
• Fonte: JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE METHODS; v. 384, p. 10-pg., 2023-01-15.

Resumo

Background: Knowledge on the neurobiological systems underlying psychiatric disorders has considerably evolved due to findings on basic research using animal models. Anxiety-like behaviors in rodents are widely explored in neuroethological apparatuses, such as the light-dark box (LDB) test through different protocols, which have been shown to influence the behavioral outcomes and probably the activation of the hypothalamic -pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis.New method: Adult male Wistar rats were submitted to LDB in different room illumination conditions (25/0, 65/ 0 and/or 330/0 lux), initial positioning in the LDB compartments and previous stressful experience in the Elevated Plus Maze (EPM) or restraint stress (RS). Rats' behavior (exploratory and risk assessment) was regis-tered during a 15 min period, divided into blocks of 5 minResults: Exploration of the lit compartment decreased in higher luminosity condition, as after positioning rats in the dark compartment or previous exposure to the EPM, while low luminosity increased exploration of the LDB. No differences were observed on serum corticosterone in all groups and experimental conditions. Comparison with existing methods: Light intensity and test duration influenced exploration of the LDB jeopardizing the anxiolytic/anxiogenic effects. Low light intensity increased exploration, while high intensity decreased it. These results suggest that 65/0 lux is a neutral condition to investigate possible anxiolytic/anxiogenic effects of drugs and/or exposure to previous aversive stimuli as the EPM.Conclusions: Different factors impact on exploratory and risk assessment behaviors which may be related to safety maximization behavior. Unraveling how different factors affect behavior may be a crucial step towards under-standing its expression and the contributions on advances in the physiopathology 1 and treatment of psychiatric disorders. (AU)

• Processo FAPESP: 14/17959-1 - Caracterização dos comportamentos do tipo depressivo e aspectos morfológicos associados ao early life stress e kindling audiogênico em ratos WAR
• Beneficiário: Lívea Dornela Godoy
• Modalidade de apoio: Bolsas no Brasil - Doutorado
• Processo FAPESP: 14/26753-8 - Papel dos receptores de serotonina de tipo 5-HT7 do núcleo mediano da rafe nas consequências comportamentais do estresse de restrição e do nado forçado
• Beneficiário: Willian Lazarini Lopes
• Modalidade de apoio: Bolsas no Brasil - Mestrado
• Processo FAPESP: 17/11339-0 - Estresse no início da vida e neurodesenvolvimento: contribuição da plasticidade dos glicocorticóides para maturação.
• Beneficiário: Lívea Dornela Godoy
• Modalidade de apoio: Bolsas no Exterior - Estágio de Pesquisa - Doutorado