Abstract
Exploratory behaviors as well as pharmacological actions of γ-aminobutyric acidA (GABAA)/benzodiazepine receptor agonists and inverse agonists were characterized in C57BL/6J and A/J strains of mice. C57BL/6J mice displayed higher levels of exploratory behavior than A/J mice in the light⇋dark exploration model of anxiety and in an openfield test, suggesting that C57BL/6J mice are less "emotional" and more active than A/J mice, respectively. However, C57BL/6J mice were more sensitive than A/J mice to the anxiolytic effects of diazepam in the light⇋dark exploration model. In contrast, A/J mice,were more sensitive than C57BL/6J mice to the convulsant effects of methyl-β-carboline-3-carboxylate. C57BL/6J mice showed no evidence of acquisition of a passive avoidance task, while A/J readily acquired this memory task at low levels of footshock. C57BL/6J and A/J mice should be useful parental strains in recombinant inbred lines for investigating the genetic determinants of benzodiazepine-sensitive behaviors and sensitivity to drugs acting on the GABAA/benzodiazepine receptor complex.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 171-180 |
| Number of pages | 10 |
| Journal | Behavior Genetics |
| Volume | 24 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Mar 1994 |
| Externally published | Yes |
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Keywords
- γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)/benzodiazepine receptor
- Anxiety
- exploratory activity
- memory
- seizures
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Psychology(all)
- Behavioral Neuroscience
- Genetics(clinical)
- Genetics
Cite this
Characterization of benzodiazepine-sensitive behaviors in the A/J and C57BL/6J inbred strains of mice. / Mathis, Chantal; Paul, Steven M.; Crawley, Jacqueline.
In: Behavior Genetics, Vol. 24, No. 2, 03.1994, p. 171-180.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Characterization of benzodiazepine-sensitive behaviors in the A/J and C57BL/6J inbred strains of mice
AU - Mathis, Chantal
AU - Paul, Steven M.
AU - Crawley, Jacqueline
PY - 1994/3
Y1 - 1994/3
N2 - Exploratory behaviors as well as pharmacological actions of γ-aminobutyric acidA (GABAA)/benzodiazepine receptor agonists and inverse agonists were characterized in C57BL/6J and A/J strains of mice. C57BL/6J mice displayed higher levels of exploratory behavior than A/J mice in the light⇋dark exploration model of anxiety and in an openfield test, suggesting that C57BL/6J mice are less "emotional" and more active than A/J mice, respectively. However, C57BL/6J mice were more sensitive than A/J mice to the anxiolytic effects of diazepam in the light⇋dark exploration model. In contrast, A/J mice,were more sensitive than C57BL/6J mice to the convulsant effects of methyl-β-carboline-3-carboxylate. C57BL/6J mice showed no evidence of acquisition of a passive avoidance task, while A/J readily acquired this memory task at low levels of footshock. C57BL/6J and A/J mice should be useful parental strains in recombinant inbred lines for investigating the genetic determinants of benzodiazepine-sensitive behaviors and sensitivity to drugs acting on the GABAA/benzodiazepine receptor complex.
AB - Exploratory behaviors as well as pharmacological actions of γ-aminobutyric acidA (GABAA)/benzodiazepine receptor agonists and inverse agonists were characterized in C57BL/6J and A/J strains of mice. C57BL/6J mice displayed higher levels of exploratory behavior than A/J mice in the light⇋dark exploration model of anxiety and in an openfield test, suggesting that C57BL/6J mice are less "emotional" and more active than A/J mice, respectively. However, C57BL/6J mice were more sensitive than A/J mice to the anxiolytic effects of diazepam in the light⇋dark exploration model. In contrast, A/J mice,were more sensitive than C57BL/6J mice to the convulsant effects of methyl-β-carboline-3-carboxylate. C57BL/6J mice showed no evidence of acquisition of a passive avoidance task, while A/J readily acquired this memory task at low levels of footshock. C57BL/6J and A/J mice should be useful parental strains in recombinant inbred lines for investigating the genetic determinants of benzodiazepine-sensitive behaviors and sensitivity to drugs acting on the GABAA/benzodiazepine receptor complex.
KW - γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)/benzodiazepine receptor
KW - Anxiety
KW - exploratory activity
KW - memory
KW - seizures
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0028299278&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0028299278&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/BF01067821
DO - 10.1007/BF01067821
M3 - Article
C2 - 8024534
AN - SCOPUS:0028299278
VL - 24
SP - 171
EP - 180
JO - Behavior Genetics
JF - Behavior Genetics
SN - 0001-8244
IS - 2
ER -