Abstract
Our previous findings suggested the existence of stressor-specific behavioural and cognitive responses in rats. In the present study, restraint stressor (immobilization, IMO) and restraint stressor combined with partial immersion of rats into water (IMO+C) were applied for 1 hour to Wistar male rats and their spontaneous behaviour was examined in the open field test. The classic behavioural parameters were recorded: crossing, rearing, and resting. When tested 1 and 4 hours after IMO+C, animals exhibited strong suppression of locomotor and exploratory activity (crossing and rearing); partial inhibition of both behavioural variables was found after IMO. Thus, substantial differences were observed in dependence on the length of period between the end of stressor application and the start of testing. In testing performed one week later, the locomotor and exploratory activity levels of both IMO and IMO+C animals corresponded to the control ones. These data suggest a differential behavioural response to both used stressors that may result from their different proportion of psychical and physical components. In conclusion, our results provide other data for the support of differential effects of two types of restraint stressors on spontaneous behaviour of animals exposed to a novel environment.
Highlights
IntroductionStress is defined as state of threatened homeostasis leading to adaptive responses [1,2,9], and stress response can either be generalized and non-specific or specific to various stressors [13,14]
Marked advances in stress research have been reached in the last two decades
The findings suggest the existence of stressor-specific behavioural and cognitive responses; restraint and restraint combined with partial immersion of rats into water (IMO+C) suppressed differentially the learning and memory response
Summary
Stress is defined as state of threatened homeostasis leading to adaptive responses [1,2,9], and stress response can either be generalized and non-specific or specific to various stressors [13,14]. The existence of the latter one changes the original Selye’s doctrine of non-specificity and offers many new avenues of stress research. The findings suggest the existence of stressor-specific behavioural and cognitive responses; restraint (immobilization, IMO) and restraint combined with partial immersion of rats into water (IMO+C) suppressed differentially the learning and memory response. When the rats were exposed to IMO and IMO+C, stress hormones, namely ACTH and corticosterone, responded differentially [6]
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