Vulnerability to chronic subordination stress-induced depression-like disorders in adult 129SvEv male mice.

Exposure to stressful life events is intimately linked with vulnerability to neuropsychiatric disorders such as major depression. Pre-clinical animal models offer an effective tool to disentangle the underlying molecular mechanisms. In particular, the 129SvEv strain is often used to develop transgenic mouse models but poorly characterized as far as behavior and neuroendocrine functions are concerned.

The suitability of 129SvEv mice for studying depressive-like behaviour: both males and females develop learned helplessness.

Behavioural studies using transgenic techniques in mice usually require extensive backcrossing to a defined background strain, e.g. to C57BL/6.