Usp46 is a quantitative trait gene regulating mouse immobile behavior in the tail suspension and forced swimming tests.

The tail suspension test (TST) and forced swimming test (FST) are widely used for assessing antidepressant activity and depression-like behavior. We found that CS mice show negligible immobility in inescapable situations. Quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping using CS and C57BL/6J mice revealed significant QTLs on chromosomes 4 (FST) and 5 (TST and FST).

[Behavioral characterization of mouse strains in learning and memory tests].

Here we review the behavioral characterization of several strains of mice that have generally been used in learning and memory tests. We made behavioral comparisons among inbred (C57BL/6, DBA/1 and 129Sv) and closed colony (ddY and ICR (CD-1)) mice. In the water-maze test, the spatial learning ability of C57BL/6 and ICR was higher than that of the other strains of mice.

Enhanced learning of normal adult rodents by repeated oral administration of soybean transphosphatidylated phosphatidylserine.

Soybean lecithin transphosphatidylated phosphatidylserine (SB-tPS) is already known to improve the learning ability of aged or drug-induced amnesic rodents. In this study, its effect on normal adult rodents was evaluated using several learning tasks. Firstly, three behavioral tests (open-field, Y-maze, and active avoidance test) were consecutively carried out after the daily oral administration of SB-tPS (50 mg/kg per day, for 34 days).

Involvement of kappa-opioid and sigma receptors in short-term memory in mice.

Kappa-opioid receptor agonists, trans-(+/-)-3,4-dichloro-N-methyl-N-(2-[1-pyrrolidinyl] cyclohexyl) benzeneacetamide methanesulfonate (U-50,488H) and dynorphin A-(1-13), improve impairments of learning and memory in mice and rats. sigma Receptor agonists, (+)-N-allylnormetazocine ((+)-SKF10,047) and 1-(3,4-dimethoxyphenethyl)-4-(3-phenylpropyl) piperazine dihydrochloride (SA4503), also reverse learning and memory impairment in various animal models. However, the mechanisms underlying these effects are not well understood.