Effects of lipopolysaccharide and interleukin-6 on cataleptic immobility and locomotor activity in mice.

Catalepsy (animal hypnosis, tonic immobility) is a type of passive defensive behavior. Its exaggerated form is a syndrome of some psychopathological disorders. Numerous neurotransmitters have impact on the regulation of catalepsy.

Serotonin transporter, 5-HT1A receptor, and behavior in DBA/2J mice in comparison with four inbred mouse strains.

Prepulse inhibition (PPI), the reduction in acoustic startle produced when it is preceded by a weak prepulse stimulus, is impaired in schizophrenic patients. The DBA/2J mouse strain displayed deficient PPI and is therefore suggested as an experimental animal model for the loss of sensorimotor gating in schizophrenia. Brain serotonin (5-HT) has been implicated in the pathophysiology of several psychiatric disorders, including major depressive disorder and schizophrenia.

Cross-fostering effects on weight, exploratory activity, acoustic startle reflex and corticosterone stress response in Norway gray rats selected for elimination and for enhancement of aggressiveness towards human.

Two rat lines, one tame, the other aggressive, differing by many behavioral features and stress reactivity were developed by long-term selection of wild gray rats for elimination and enhancement of aggressiveness towards humans. The aim of this work was to study the role of the maternal environment in the expression of these differences between the two rat lines using the cross-fostering paradigm. Fostering of tame rats of both sexes by aggressive mothers and aggressive females by tame mothers was without effect on behavior score towards humans, but the cross-fostered aggressive males had a small, yet significant, increase in aggressiveness score.

Reproductive abnormalities in adult male mice following preimplantation exposures to estradiol or pesticide methoxychlor.

Adult females of ICR strain of mice were bred, separated into different experimental groups, and treated as follows. On Days 2-4 of pregnancy, the mice received daily subcutaneous injections of either 0.05 ml sesame oil (vehicle) or same volume of 5.