Ethopharmacological evaluation of the rat exposure test: A prey-predator interaction test

Autor(es)

Caetano Campos, Kelciane Ferreira ^{[1, 2]} ; Santana Amaral, Vanessa Cristiane ^{[1, 2, 3]} ; Rico, Javier Leonardo ^{[1, 4]} ; Miguel, Tarciso Tadeu ^{[1, 5, 2]} ; Nunes-de-Souza, Ricardo Luiz ^{[1, 5, 2]}

Afiliação do(s) autor(es)

^[1] Univ Estadual Paulista, UNESP, Sch Pharmaceut Sci, Pharmacol Lab, BR-14801902 Araraquara, SP - Brazil

^[2] Joint Grad Program Physiol Sci UFSCar UNESP, BR-13565905 Sao Carlos, SP - Brazil

^[3] UnUCET UEG, Unidade Univ Ciencias Exatas & Tecnol, BR-75132903 Anapolis, Go - Brazil

^[4] Fdn Univ Konrad Lorenz, Lab Anim Behav, Bogota - Colombia

^[5] Univ Sao Paulo, Inst Neurosci & Behav IneC, BR-14040901 Ribeirao Preto, SP - Brazil

• Tipo de documento: Artigo Científico
• Fonte: Behavioural Brain Research; v. 240, p. 160-170, MAR 1 2013.
• Citações Web of Science: 15

Resumo

The rat exposure test (RET) is a prey (mouse)-predator (rat) situation that activates brain defensive areas and elicits hormonal and defensive behavior in the mouse. Here, we investigated possible correlations between the spatiotemporal {[}time spent in protected (home chamber and tunnel) and unprotected (surface) compartments and frequency of entries into the three compartments] and ethological {[}e.g., duration of protected and unprotected stretched-attend postures (SAP), duration of contact with the rat's compartment] measures (Experiment 1). Secondly, we investigated the effects of systemic treatment with pro- or anti-aversive drugs on the behavior that emerged from the factor analysis (Experiment 2). The effects of chronic (21 days) imipramine and fluoxetine on defensive behavior were also investigated (Experiment 3). Exp. 1 revealed that the time in the protected compartment, protected SAP and rat contacts loaded on factor 1 (defensive behavior), while the total entries and unprotected SAP loaded on factor 2 (locomotor activity). Exp. 2 showed that alprazolam (but not diazepam) selectively changed the defensive factor. Caffeine produced a mild proaversive-like effect, whereas yohimbine only decreased locomotor activity (total entries). Fluoxetine (but not imipramine) produced a weak proaversive-like effect. 5-HT1A/5-HT2 receptor ligands did not change any behavioral measure. In Exp. 3, chronic fluoxetine (but not imipramine) attenuated the defensive behavior factor without changing locomotion. Given that the defensive factor was sensitive to drugs known to attenuate (alprazolam and chronic fluoxetine) and induce (caffeine) panic attack, we suggest the RET as a useful test to assess the effects of panicolytic and panicogenic drugs. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. (AU)

• Processo FAPESP: 09/12252-9 - Análise etofarmacológica de um novo modelo de interação presa-predador: o teste de exposição ao rato.
• Beneficiário: Kelciane Caetano Ferreira
• Modalidade de apoio: Bolsas no Brasil - Mestrado
• Processo FAPESP: 05/05171-1 - Papel dos mecanismos mediados pelo fator de liberação de corticotrofina e pelo complexo receptor N-metil-D-aspartato-óxido nítrico nas reações associadas a estímulos aversivos
• Beneficiário: Tarciso Tadeu Miguel
• Modalidade de apoio: Bolsas no Brasil - Doutorado