Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
4314328 | Behavioural Brain Research | 2010 | 15 Pages |
This report describes the emotional responses of mice exposed to an unfamiliar elevated platform that is extended on two opposite sides by downward lowered steep slopes. Balb/c mice were exposed to the test for 12 min per session in 3 successive days. They received i.p. administration of diazepam (0, 0.5, 1 and 3 mg/kg) or amphetamine (0, 1, 2.5, 5 and 10 mg/kg) 30 min prior to test sessions. Separate groups of Balb/c mice were used for each dose of the drugs.Both drugs increased the number of crossings on the platform, indicating increased motor activity, and the effects were dose-dependent. Diazepam also significantly increased the number and duration of entries onto the slopes indicating an anxiolytic effect, whereas none of the saline or amphetamine-treated mice adventured onto the slopes. Amphetamine and diazepam produced an inverted U-shaped dose–response effect on different parameters of the test and demonstrate that the drug concentration which elicited a peak in mean number of entries is different from the drug concentration which elicited a peak in mean duration of entries. This study demonstrates the sensitivity and discriminatory power of an open space anxiety test for future pharmacological studies.