Original articleNeurobiological correlates of high (HAB) versus low anxiety-related behavior (LAB): differential Fos expression in HAB and LAB rats
Section snippets
Animals
All animals tested were bred in the animal facilities of the Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry in Munich, Germany, as described previously (for a review, see Landgraf and Wigger 2002). The rats used in the present study were adult male animals (300–400 g) from the F12 generation. They were housed in groups of 3–5 per cage under controlled conditions of temperature, light, and humidity, with free access to food and water. At least 24 hours before the experiment, animals were taken in their home
Line differences in behavioral and neuroendocrine measures
During OF exposure, the time spent in the central zone and the number of entries into the central zone of the arena were significantly lower in HAB than in LAB rats (Figure 2A, B). In this test, the total distance traveled was lower in HAB than in LAB rats (Figure 2C). Whereas basal levels of ACTH were not different between HAB and LAB rats, responses to OF were higher in the former (Figure 2D).
During OA exposure, the time spent in and the number of entries into the distal zone of the OA were
Discussion
This study demonstrates that the brain activity pattern evoked by mild anxiogenic stimuli differs in the HAB and LAB rat lines selectively bred for extremes in anxiety-related behavior. The most striking finding was that HAB rats, with a higher level of trait anxiety and HPA axis reactivity than LAB animals, exhibited enhanced Fos expression in the medial and lateral hypothalamus, whereas they displayed less activation in the medial prefrontal cortex in response to both OF and OA exposures.
Acknowledgements
This work was supported by Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (AW, RL), an Austrian Science Foundation FWF research grant (NSi), and Région Nord-Pas de Calais (NSa, OV, HS).
We thank L. Brunet and G. Courtand for their technical assistance and Iris Neumayr for excellent animal care.
Nicolas Salomé and Peter Salchner contributed equally to this work.
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