Duration Of Head-dips Research Articles

Evaluation of Diabetic Rats Behavior after Treatment by <i>Artemisia herba-alba</i> Relative to Insulin

The aim of the study was to evaluate the behavioral signs of diabetic rats after treatment by Artemisia herba-alba (AHA) and insulin. Method: Based on the induction of diabetes in wistar rats by intraperitoneal (I/P) injection of 60 mg/kg streptozotocin (STZ), then treated by AHA as 20 mg (I/P) and insulin subcutaneously (S/C). The samples of rats were: 1) Diabetic control, 2) Injected with insulin, 3) Injected with AHA, 4) Non diabetic rats, which were fostered for 21 day; then weighted and the behavioral tests were conducted. Results: The board hole tests (BHT) showed that: the induced diabetes reduced the cognition of the rats in view of Latency of the First Head Dipping (LFHD) in seconds, number of head dipping (NHD) and duration of head dipping (DHD) by 49.3%, while it’s improved in AHA and insulin treated rats by 52% and 69% in average respectively. The exploratory activity reduced in diabetic rats by 36%, while AHA and Insulin treated rats increased by 53% and 72% respectively. The rearing test showed an increase of anxiety among diabetic in form of duration of rearing, number of rearing and time spend in center by 51.7% in average respectively, while the anxiety reduced after treatment by AHA and insulin by 39% and 47.3% in average respectively. Also the diabetes increased the depression state by 106%, while the treatment by AHA and insulin reduced the depression state by 77% and 88% respectively. And VPT showed that: motor impairment occurred in diabetic cases and improved after AHA and insulin treatment.

Role for monoaminergic systems in the antidepressant and anxiolytic properties of the hydroethanolic leaf extract from Adenia cissampeloides.

Adenia cissampeloides (Planch ex. Hook) Harms (Passifloraceae) leaf infusion is used in traditional African medicine as a stimulant to treat depression and insanity. Thus, this study investigates antidepressant and anxiolytic activities of the hydroethanol leaf extract of Adenia cissampeloides (ACE) in mice. ACE (50-200 mg/kg, p.o.) was administered to mice 1 h before behavioral studies; the forced swimming test (FST), tail suspension test (TST), elevated-plus maze test (EPM) hole-board test (HBT) and open field test (OFT). In addition, the probable mechanisms of antidepressant- and anxiolytic-like actions of ACE were also investigated. ACE (100 and 200 mg/kg) produced significant (p<0.01) reduction in immobility, along with a significant increase in swimming activity (75.20%) and climbing (190.00%), respectively, similar to anti-immobility effect of imipramine in the FST. Also, in TST, ACE (100 and 200 mg/kg) treatment significantly (p<0.01) reduced the immobility time by 35.60%, and 35.27%, respectively, which was similar to anti-immobility effect of fluoxetine (32.50%). However, the antidepressant-like effect produced by ACE was prevented (p<0.01) by yohimbine (α2-adrenoceptor antagonist), or sulpiride (dopamine D2 receptor antagonist) pretreatment. ACE (50 and 100 mg/kg) treatment (p<0.01) increased number (41.67%) and duration of head-dips (52.27%) in HBT. Similarly, ACE (50-200 mg/kg) increased duration of open arm entries (p<0.001) in EPM. However, this effect was reversed (p<0.001) by pretreatment of mice with cyproheptadine (5-HT2 receptor antagonist) (60.87%). Findings from these studies revealed antidepressant-like effect of ACE mediated through interaction with dopamine D2- receptor or α2-adrenoceptor. Also an anxiolytic-like effect through interaction with 5-HT2 receptors.

Anxiolytic and sedative properties of hydroethanolic extract of Telfairia occidentalis leaves in mice

Telfairia occidentalis Hook. f., Cucurbitaceae, is a leafy vegetable used in soup and folk medicine in southern Nigeria. This study was conducted to investigate the anxiolytic and sedative activities of the hydroethanolic extract of the leaves of T. occidentalis in mice. The hole-board, elevated plus maze, open-field, light-dark, and social interaction tests were used in this study. T. occidentalis (50-400mg/ kg) and diazepam (1mg/kg) were administered p.o. to different groups of mice and appropriate observations were made. T. occidentalis increased the number of sectional crossings (p<0.01) and duration of head dips (p<0.05) at doses of 50 and 100mg/kg respectively; increased number of entries into open arms (p<0.01) at the dose of 100mg/kg; increased number of central squares crossed (p<0.01) at the dose of 50mg/kg; and increased number of social interactions (p<0.001) at doses of 50 and 100mg/kg. At the dose of 400mg/kg, T. occidentalis reduced number of head dips and sectional crossings (p<0.01); reduced time spent in open arms and increased time spent in closed arms (p<0.01, 0.001) at doses of 200 and 400mg/ kg; reduced number of assisted rearings (p<0.001) at doses of 200 and 400mg/kg; increased latency of entry into and time spent in dark box (p<0.01, 0.001) at doses of 200 and 400mg/kg; and reduced number of social interactions (p<0.001) at the dose of 400mg/kg. The findings in this study suggest that T. occidentalis possess anxiolytic property at doses of 50 and 100mg/kg, and sedative activity at doses of 200 and 400mg/kg.

Anxiolytic activity of aqueous extract of Garcinia indica in mice

Background: Anxiety or depressed mood is associated with low levels of serotonin in the brain. A hydroxycitric acid (HCA), constituent of Garcinia indica (GIA), increases serotonin release from isolated rat brain cortex. Aim: To evaluate the anxiolytic activity of aqueous extract of dried fruits of GIA in mice. Materials and Methods: The anxiolytic‑like effects of aqueous extract of dried fruits of GIA were evaluated by using elevated plus maze (EPM), hole board and light/dark exploration models in Swiss albino mice. Control mice were treated with an equal volume of saline, and positive control mice were treated with diazepam (1 mg/kg). Results: GIA administered orally, 30 min before the test in different doses (125, 250 and 500 mg/kg of body weight), was able to increase significantly (P < 0.05) the time‑spent and entries into open arms of the EPM and reduced the time‑spent and entries into closed arms versus control. In the hole‑board test, treatment with GIA (250 and 500 mg/kg) significantly increased the number of head‑dips and duration of head dipping (P < 0.05). In the light–dark paradigm test, number of transitions and the time spent in the light box increased with reduction in time spent in the dark box and immobility period significantly (P < 0.05) after treatment with GIA. However, no significant changes in locomotor activity were observed versus control. Conclusion: The results of the present study suggest that aqueous extract of dried fruits of GIA is an effective anxiolytic agent for behavioural models in mice. Key words: Anxiolytic, elevated plus maze, Garcinia indica, light/dark test, locomotor activity

Effects of taurine on rat behaviors in three anxiety models

In our previous studies using an elevated plus-maze test in mice, taurine was shown to present an anxiolytic-like effect after single and repeated administration [Chen SW, Kong WX, Zhang YJ, Li YL, Mi XJ, Mu XS. Possible anxiolytic effects of taurine in the mouse elevated plus-maze. Life Sci 2004;75: 1503–11]. The aim of the present study was to investigate the anxiolytic and behavioral effects of taurine on rats in the open field, hole-board, and social interaction test compared to the positive control diazepam. Taurine (14, 42, and 126 mg/kg, i.p.) was administered 30 min before the tests. In the social interaction and hole-board tests, taurine (42 mg/kg) significantly increased social interaction time and the number and duration of head-dipping. In the open field test, taurine (126 mg/kg, i.p.) presented anxiolytic-like effects by increasing the number of center entries, time spent in the central area and the anti-thigmotactic score while having no effect on the locomotor activity. Results from these experiments suggest that taurine produces an anxiolytic-like effect in these animal models and may act as a modulator or anti-anxiety agent in the central nervous system.

Different effects of 5-HT1A receptor agonists and benzodiazepine anxiolytics on the emotional state of naive and stressed mice: a study using the hole-board test.

The effects of 5-HT(1A) receptor agonists on the emotional behavior of naive or stressed mice were examined and compared with those of benzodiazepine anxiolytics. Changes in the emotional state of mice were evaluated in terms of changes in exploratory activity, i.e. total locomotor activity, numbers and duration of rearing and head-dipping and latency to the first head-dipping, using an automatic holeboard apparatus. The 5-HT(1A) receptor full agonists flesinoxan (0.03-1 mg/kg, IP) and 8-OH-DPAT (0.03-1 mg/kg, IP), and the partial agonist buspirone (0.3-10 mg/kg, IP) dose-dependently decreased all of the exploratory behaviors. Significant decreases in both the number and duration of head-dips, and an increase in the latency to head-dipping were observed at 30 min after exposure to acute restraint stress (60 min). These emotional changes were scarcely improved by post-stress treatment with 5-HT(1A) receptor agonists, at doses that alone did not produce a significant behavioral effect. In contrast, pretreatment with flesinoxan (0.1-1 mg/kg, IP) or 8-OH-DPAT (0.1-1 mg/kg, IP) 24 h prior to exposure to stress dose-dependently suppressed the decrease in various exploratory behaviors that was observed immediately after the exposure to acute restraint stress. Moreover, pretreatment with buspirone (1-10 mg/kg, IP) 24 h prior to exposure to stress also significantly suppressed the decrease in rearing behavior and the increase in head-dip latency. However, changes in the emotional response to stress stimuli were not observed in mice that had been pretreated with the benzodiazepine anxiolytics diazepam (0.1-1 mg/kg, IP) and chlordiazepoxide (2-8 mg/kg, IP). The present study clearly demonstrates that the behavioral effects of 5-HT(1A) receptor agonists in both naive and stressed mice were quite different from those of benzodiazepine anxiolytics, as previously reported by us. Notably, 5-HT(1A) receptor agonists but not benzodiazepine anxiolytics protect against various emotional changes produced by stress stimuli, and the results suggest that activation of 5-HT(1A) receptors may facilitate some mechanism(s) involved in the recognition of and/or ability to cope with stressful situation.

Changes in head-dipping behavior in the hole-board test reflect the anxiogenic and/or anxiolytic state in mice

The effects of treatment with anxiogenic or anxiolytic agents and exposure to acute restraint stress on emotional behavior in mice were examined using an automatic hole-board apparatus. Changes in the emotional state of mice were evaluated in terms of changes in exploratory activity, i.e., total locomotor activity, numbers and duration of rearing and head-dipping, and latency to the first head-dipping. The typical benzodiazepine anxiolytics diazepam (0.05–0.5 mg/kg, i.p.) and chlordiazepoxide (0.5–4 mg/kg, i.p.) dose-dependently increased the number and duration of head-dips at doses that did not produce sedation. In contrast with these anxiolytics, the typical anxiogenic drugs N-methyl- β-carboline-3-carboxamide (FG7142, 0.125–10 mg/kg, i.p.) and methyl- β-carboline-3-carboxylate ( β-CCM, 0.1–2 mg/kg, i.p.) decreased both the number and duration of head-dips, and increased the latency to head-dipping. Moreover, decreases in the number and duration of head-dips, and an increase in the latency to head-dipping, were also observed in animals that were exposed to acute restraint stress. These effects of acute restraint stress were suppressed by treatment with diazepam at a dose that alone did not produce significant behavioral effects (0.1 mg/kg, i.p.). In addition, non-benzodiazepine anxiolytic flesinoxan (0.1 mg/kg, i.p.), a 5-HT 1A receptor agonist, also had an effect on the restraint stress-induced decrease in head-dipping behavior. The present study shows that the changes in several exploratory behaviors could be objectively measured using our automatic hole-board apparatus. Therefore, this system can serve as a useful tool for evaluating the changes in various emotional states of animals. Moreover, we also found that treatment with anxiolytics or anxiogenics and exposure to acute restraint stress affected head-dipping behavior. These results suggest that changes in head-dipping behavior in the hole-board test may reflect the anxiogenic and/or anxiolytic state of animals.

Antiparkinsonian and other motor effects of flupirtine alone and in combination with dopaminergic drugs

In this study we attempted to specify the behavioural profile of the analgesic flupirtine (1, 10 and 20 mg/kg p.o.) in the rat with respect to (i) its antiparkinsonian potential alone and as an adjunct to l-dihydroxyphenylalanine ( l-DOPA) in the haloperidol-induced catalepsy (0.5 mg/kg haloperidol i.p.), (ii) locomotion and exploratory behaviour in the open field with holeboard, and (iii) possible psychomotor stimulating effects in the experimental chamber. In the two latter tests, behaviour was additionally challenged by d-amphetamine (2 mg/kg i.p.). In the catalepsy tests (horizontal bar, podium, grid) flupirtine alone was anticataleptic at doses of 10 and 20 mg/kg p.o., and the antiparkinsonian potential of a subthreshold dose of l-DOPA (50 mg/kg p.o.) was potentiated by 1 and 10 mg/kg p.o. flupirtine. On spontaneous forward locomotion in the open field with holeboard, flupirtine (1 and 10 mg/kg p.o.) had no marked effect but increased the frequency and duration of head dips, indicative for augmenting exploratory behaviour. Spontaneous rearing was reduced and d-amphetamine-induced rearing was enhanced by 1 mg/kg p.o. flupirtine. Grooming was reduced by 1 and 10 mg/kg p.o. flupirtine. In contrast, turning and grooming behaviour (spontaneous as well as d-amphetamine-induced) was not markedly influenced by flupirtine in the experimental chamber. Sniffing was increased in this test by 1 mg/kg p.o. flupirtine but not by the higher dose. Flupirtine is highly effective in antagonising neuroleptic-induced catalepsy as well as in potentiating l-DOPA treatment in the rat, suggesting it is a prospective new candidate for the therapy of Parkinson's disease.

Behavioral effects of the putative anxiolytic (±)-1-(2,5-dimethoxy-4-ethylthiophenyl)-2-aminopropane (ALEPH-2) in rats and mice

Behavioral effects of the phenethylamine derivative (±)-1-(2,5-dimethoxy-4-ethylthiophenyl)-2-aminopropane (ALEPH-2) were studied in mice and rats. Murine locomotor activity, measured with a photocell actometer, was markedly depressed following IP injection of 2 and 6 mg/kg of the drug. The same doses of the drug also decreased frequency and duration of head dipping and the number of rearings in the hole board apparatus. In the murine elevated plus maze 2 and 6 mg/kg of ALEPH-2 increased the percentage of both open arm entries and time. The total number of entries into the enclosed arms was not significantly affected by the drug. In the rat, 2–12 mg/kg ALEPH-2, IP, decreased photobeam counts in the actometer in a dose-dependent fashion. Both 2 and 4 mg/kg of the drug increased the percentage of open arm entries, but only the highest dose significantly increased the percentage of time spent on the open arms. The dose of 4 mg/kg ALEPH-2 also significantly decreased the total number of enclosed arm entries. Finally, in a recently developed model of anxiety and memory, the elevated T-maze, the doses of 2 and 4 mg/kg ALEPH-2 did not change inhibitory avoidance of the open arms. Nevertheless, the highest dose had an amnestic effect on this task, repeated 72 h later in the absence of drug. In addition, this dose significantly increased the latency to escape from the open arms and had an amnestic effect measured 72 h later. Overall, these results indicate that ALEPH-2 possesses anxiolytic, amnestic as well as sedative and/or motor depressant actions.

Evaluation of prenatal aldrin intoxication in rats

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the impact of prenatal exposure to low doses of aldrin on physical and behavioral developments of rats (1-21 days old). To detect the possible persistent adversities produced by this exposure, the animals were also tested when adults (90 days old). Plasma determinations of both aldrin and its metabolite dieldrin and histopathological evaluations of brain slices were also performed in adult animals. Pregnant female rats were subcutaneously (s.c.) treated with aldrin (1.0 mg/kg) or with its vehicle (0.9% NaCl solution plus Tween-80) from day 1 of pregnancy until delivery. Results show that prenatal aldrin administration was able to decrease the median effective time (TE50) for incisor teeth eruption and to increase the TE50 for testes descent; other parameters indicative of physical development were not modified. Aldrin and dieldrin were not found in plasma of the adult rats; no differences were observed between control and experimental rats in the cellular and structural organization of the cerebral cortex neurones. Prenatal aldrin administration produced no impairment of adult animal's behavior in an avoidance learning test; nevertheless, the locomotor frequency of the experimental rats was higher than that of controls at 21 and 90 days old. When adults, these experimental rats had their performance in a hole-board apparatus (total number and duration of head-dips) also higher than that of the control ones. It was concluded that prenatal aldrin exposure induced not only developmental changes in the rat pups but also persistent behavioral alterations in adulthood, when the pesticide was not present in these animals.

Interactions of 5HT reuptake inhibitors and ethanol in tests of exploration and anxiety.

Treatment with 5HT reuptake inhibitors has been shown to attenuate ethanol consumption in both animals and humans. These experiments investigate in mice the interactions of the 5HT reuptake inhibitors fluoxetine, citalopram and fluvoxamine and the NA uptake inhibitor desipramine with ethanol in the holeboard test and the elevated plusmaze test of anxiety. Ethanol (2.4 g/kg) increased activity both in the holeboard and on the plusmaze, decreased both the number and duration of head-dips in the holeboard, and increased both the percentage time and percentage entries on to the open-arm of the plusmaze (reflecting its anxiolytic properties). On their own, the selective 5HT uptake inhibitors fluoxetine, fluvoxamine, and citalopram and the NA uptake inhibitor desipramine (10-20 mg/kg) did not significantly alter any of the behavioral measures. The only consistent interaction was seen with fluoxetine which reduced ethanol's anxiolytic effects at the 20 mg/kg dose without altering ethanol's effects on exploration or locomotion. The results suggest that the attenuation of ethanol's anxiolytic properties by fluoxetine may not be serotonin related since other 5HT reuptake inhibitors did not show this effect at the doses used.