Abstract
Abstract Objective: The objective of the present study was to design a novel animal maze which can detect anxiety in mice and effect of different anxiogenic and anxiolytic treatments. Methods: The maze was behaviorally validated by recording the behaviors of mice on the maze before and after administration of anxiolytic drug treatments like Diazepam (1 and 2 mg/kg), Gabapentin (10 and 20 mg/kg), Fluoxetine (5 and 10 mg/kg), Ondansetron (0.1 and 1 mg/kg) and anxiogenic treatments like caffeine (15 and 30 mg/kg) and exposure to immobilization stress. Ethological characterization was done by tracking behavioral pattern of mice on the maze. Results: Diazepam significantly increased the percentage of time spent in the open areas (%TO) and the number of unprotected head dips (uHDIPS), and reduced the number of protected head dips (pHDIPS) and stretch attend postures (SAP) from close to open arm. Similarly, gabapentin significantly increased the %TO and uHDIPS, and reduced the pHDIPS and SAP from close to open arm. Fluoxetine significantly increased the %TO and uHDIPS, and SAP from close to open arm, but it did not have any significant effect on number of pHDIPS. The 5-HT3 receptor antagonist, ondansetron did not produce any significant change in all the behaviors, observed, as compared to vehicletreated control mice. On the other hand, the anxiogenic agent, caffeine and immobilization stress did produce a significant decrease in %TO and the number of uHDIPS, and significantly increased the number of pHDIPS and SAP from close to open arm. Conclusion: The present data indicate that the novel “I - maze” design, pharmacological and ethological analysis provide a sensitive model for detection of anxiolytic/anxiogenic drug action.
Highlights
Human anxiety may be defined as a feeling of apprehension, uncertainty and tension stemming from the anticipation of an imagined or unreal threat [1]
Drugs: Diazepam (1 and 2 mg/kg), Gabapentin (10 and 20 mg/ kg), Fluoxetine (5 and 10 mg/kg), Ondansetron (0.1 and 1 mg/kg) and Caffeine (15 and 30 mg/kg) were all dissolved in distilled water, which given alone served as control group employed in the present study
A significant increase in %TO and unprotected head dips (uHDIPS) and a significant decrease in protected head dips (pHDIPS) and stretch attend postures (SAP), by selected treatments, as compared to that in vehicle- treated mice indicate an anxiolytic- like activity
Summary
Human anxiety may be defined as a feeling of apprehension, uncertainty and tension stemming from the anticipation of an imagined or unreal threat [1]. The elevated T-maze was designed to test the conditioned and unconditioned fear in the single apparatus, whereas elevated zero-maze was utilized for detailed behavioral analysis including risk assessment by animal, in addition to measure of anxiety Though, these mazes, offer clear advantages over elevated plus-maze viz. (b) authors opine that I-maze offers a rather more robust measure of anxiety as compared to the designs of EPM, ETM and EZM, because, during the whole period of animal stay (300 sec) in the maze, the design of I-maze facilitate a clear view of all the portions of maze Due to such structure of the maze, during its stay in any one arm (open or close), animal has always a clear vision of other arm, where it can enter as per its own preference. Still, if the animal does not opt to enter close arm, it may be taken as more robust measure of animal preference for open arm i.e. anxiolytic- like behavior of animal or drug action, rather than
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