Neuroreceptor Profile and Behavior of CD-1 Mice Subpopulations with Different Attention Stability

Abstract

Abstract—We used the radioligand binding method to study the neuroreceptor profile in the brain structures of subpopulations of outbred CD-1 mice that differ in stability of attention to environmental objects in the enriched closed plus maze test. In the prefrontal cortex of the subpopulation of mice with low attention to new objects, the density (Bmax, fmol/mg of protein) of D2-dopamine receptors was 25% higher whereas the density of GABAB-receptors was 34% lower compared to the mice with normal attention. We did not find any significant differences in the Kd and Bmax indices in the binding with NMDA-receptors in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex between the subpopulations of mice. We additionally examined mouse behavior in the enriched closed plus maze and elevated plus maze tests using correlation and factor analysis. The index of attention to objects of the enriched closed plus maze correlated and had significant factor load with the indices of exploratory activity, such as time in center and amount of rearing in the elevated plus maze but did not correlate with anxiety indices.