AI Article Synopsis

  • The study aimed to standardize the repeated forced-swimming test (rFST) for female rats, recognizing that previous research primarily focused on males.
  • Young or adult Wistar female rats were housed in either standard or enriched environments, and all reached sexual maturity before behavioral testing.
  • Results showed that immobility time in female rats was consistent across different test sessions, suggesting that rFST can be reliably applied to females under various experimental conditions.

Article Abstract

Psychopharmacology used animal models to study the effects of drugs on brain and behaviour. The repeated forced-swimming test (rFST), which is used to assess the gradual effects of antidepressants on rat behaviour, was standardized only in males. Because of the known sex differences in rats, experimental conditions standardized for males may not apply to female rats. Therefore, the present work aimed to standardize experimental and housing conditions for the rFST in female rats. Young or adult Wistar female rats were housed in standard or enriched environments for different experimental periods. As assessed in tested and nontested females, all rats had reached sexual maturity by the time behavioural testing occurred. The rFST consisted of a 15-min session of forced swimming (pretest), followed by 5-min sessions at 1 (test), 7 (retest 1) and 14 days (retest 2) later. The oestrous cycle was registered immediately before every behavioural session. All sessions were videotaped for further analysis. The immobility time of female rats remained similar over the different sessions of rFST independent of the age, the phase of the oestrous cycle or the housing conditions. These data indicate that rFST in female Wistar rats may be reproducible in different experimental conditions.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/FBP.0000000000000403DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

female rats
20
oestrous cycle
12
repeated forced-swimming
8
forced-swimming test
8
rats
8
standardized males
8
experimental conditions
8
housing conditions
8
rfst female
8
female
6

Similar Publications

Hyperoxia-activated Nrf2 regulates ferroptosis in intestinal epithelial cells and intervenes in inflammatory reaction through COX-2/PGE2/EP2 pathway.

Mol Med

January 2025

Department of Gastroenterology and Medical Research Center, Liaoning Key Laboratory of Research and Application of Animal Models for Environmental and Metabolic Diseases, ShengJing Hospital of China Medical University, SanHao Street No. 36, HePing District, Shenyang, 110000, Liaoning, China.

The lack of knowledge about the mechanism of hyperoxia-induced intestinal injury has attracted considerable attention, due to the potential for this condition to cause neonatal complications. This study aimed to explore the relationship between hyperoxia-induced oxidative damage and ferroptosis in intestinal tissue and investigate the mechanism by which hyperoxia regulates inflammation through ferroptosis. The study systematically evaluated the effects of hyperoxia on oxidative stress, mitochondrial damage, ferroptosis, and inflammation of intestinal epithelial cells both in vitro and in vivo.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Study Design: Experimental Animal Study.

Objective: To continue validating an antibody which targets an epitope of neurofilament light chain (NF-L) only available during neurodegeneration and to utilize the antibody to describe the pattern of axonal degeneration 10 days post-unilateral C4 contusion in the rat.

Setting: University of Florida laboratory in Gainesville, USA.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Tobacco use disorder is a chronic disorder that affects more than one billion people worldwide and causes the death of millions each year. The rewarding properties of nicotine are critical for the initiation of smoking. Previous research has shown that the activation of glucocorticoid receptors (GRs) plays a role in nicotine self-administration in rats.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Seizures elicited by transcorneal 6 Hz stimulation in developing rats.

PLoS One

January 2025

Department of Developmental Epileptology, Institute of Physiology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic.

Seizures elicited by corneal 6-Hz stimulation are widely acknowledged as a model of temporal lobe seizures. Despite the intensive research in rodents, no studies hint at this model in developing animals. We focused on seven age groups of both male and female rats.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Basic Science and Pathogenesis.

Alzheimers Dement

December 2024

Center of Excellence in Cardiac Electrophysiology Research, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand.

Background: Our previous studies reported that D-galactose (D-gal) administration for four to eight weeks caused metabolic disturbance, brain mitochondrial dysfunction, and brain aging, leading to cognitive dysfunction in similar with natural aging condition. Spermidine is a polyamine that can be found naturally. Spermidine has been showed the beneficial effects on various models, such as attenuating metabolic/gut impairments in obesity, and ameliorating memory loss in aged model.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!