Department of Molecular Biology, Ariel University Center of Samaria, Ariel, 40700, Israel.
J Mol Neurosci. 2012 Feb;46(2):276-84. doi: 10.1007/s12031-011-9544-0. Epub 2011 May 20.
The use of mice as experimental models in pharmacological and biochemical research began over 100 years ago, during which time different mice strains with specific features were developed. Numerous studies demonstrate that the pharmacological efficacy of various compounds significantly varies among different animal strains, a factor which must be considered when analyzing experimental data. The Sabra strain, developed more than 35 years ago, is widely used for research in Israel but has an unclear origin and is not characterized as well as other strains. Comparative analyses of the molecular characteristics of Sabra and other strains should help to understand their characteristics and to enhance the validity of their experimental use. Thus, four mouse strains-outbred ICR and Sabra as well as inbred C57Bl/6J and Balb/c were compared. Animals' weight, blood corticosterone and hippocampal BDNF mRNA levels were measured, and animals' behavior was compared using the EPM, open field, FST, and hot plate tests. We found that although Sabra mice are bigger and heavier than other tested lines, this is not reflected in behavior or in biomolecular features, wherein Sabra mice lay within the diapason of other tested animals. Thus, behavioral tests of anxiety-like behavior and locomotor activity revealed that Sabra mice scored close to the mean of all tested lines. Analysis of blood corticosterone levels did not show significant differences among tested strains. We also found a correlation between general and locomotor activity of the tested strains and their hippocampal BDNF mRNA expression. In summary, we may conclude that Sabra mice have traits similar to the better known lines, and therefore they are good subjects for neuroscience research.
使用小鼠作为实验模型进行药理学和生物化学研究已经有 100 多年的历史了，在此期间，已经开发出了具有特定特征的不同小鼠品系。许多研究表明，不同动物品系对各种化合物的药理功效有很大的差异，在分析实验数据时必须考虑到这一因素。Sabra 品系是 35 多年前开发的，在以色列被广泛用于研究，但它的起源不清楚，也不如其他品系那样具有特征。对 Sabra 和其他品系的分子特征进行比较分析，应该有助于了解它们的特征，并提高其实验使用的有效性。因此，我们比较了四种小鼠品系——近交系 C57Bl/6J 和 Balb/c 以及远交系 ICR 和 Sabra。测量了动物的体重、血液皮质酮和海马 BDNF mRNA 水平，并使用 EPM、旷场、FST 和热板试验比较了动物的行为。我们发现，尽管 Sabra 小鼠比其他测试品系更大、更重，但这并没有反映在行为或生物分子特征上，Sabra 小鼠的行为与其他测试动物的行为范围一致。因此，焦虑样行为和运动活性的行为测试表明，Sabra 小鼠的评分接近所有测试品系的平均值。测试品系的血液皮质酮水平分析没有显示出显著差异。我们还发现，测试品系的一般和运动活性与其海马 BDNF mRNA 表达之间存在相关性。总之，我们可以得出结论，Sabra 小鼠具有与更知名的品系相似的特征，因此它们是神经科学研究的良好对象。
