Galliot Emmanuel, Laurent Lucie, Hacquemand Romain, Pourié Gregory, Millot Jean-Louis
Laboratoire de Neurosciences, Université de Franche-Comté, 2 Place Leclerc, Besancon Cedex, France.
Behav Processes. 2012 Jun;90(2):161-6. doi: 10.1016/j.beproc.2012.01.002. Epub 2012 Jan 14.
Odors can have repulsive effects on rodents based on two complementary adaptive behaviors: the avoidance of predator odors (potentially dangerous) and the avoidance of trigeminal stimulants (potentially noxious). The present study aimed to compare the behavioral effects on mice of odors according to their trigeminal properties and ecological significance. We used three different odors: 2,4,5-trimethylthiazoline (TMT: a fox feces odor frequently used to elicit fear-induced behaviors), toluene (a strong stimulant of the trigeminal system) and phenyl ethyl alcohol (PEA: a selective stimulant of the olfactory system). First, we checked preference and avoidance behaviors in mice with and without anosmia towards these odors to ensure their olfactory/trigeminal properties. Secondly, we used a standard test (open-field and elevated plus-maze) to assess the behaviors of mice when exposed to these odors. The results show that the anosmic and control mice both avoided TMT and toluene odors. In the open-field and the elevated plus-maze, mice exhibited "anxious" behaviors when exposed to TMT. Conversely, exposure to PEA induced "anxiolytic" effects confirmed by low blood corticosterone levels resulting from completion of the elevated plus-maze. Compared with TMT exposure, toluene exposure induced moderate "anxious" effects.
基于两种互补的适应性行为，气味对啮齿动物可能具有排斥作用：避免捕食者气味（潜在危险）和避免三叉神经刺激物（潜在有害）。本研究旨在根据气味的三叉神经特性和生态意义，比较其对小鼠的行为影响。我们使用了三种不同的气味：2,4,5-三甲基噻唑啉（TMT：一种常用于引发恐惧诱导行为的狐狸粪便气味）、甲苯（三叉神经系统的强刺激物）和苯乙醇（PEA：嗅觉系统的选择性刺激物）。首先，我们检查了有嗅觉和无嗅觉的小鼠对这些气味的偏好和回避行为，以确保它们的嗅觉/三叉神经特性。其次，我们使用标准测试（旷场试验和高架十字迷宫试验）来评估小鼠接触这些气味时的行为。结果表明，嗅觉缺失小鼠和对照小鼠都回避TMT和甲苯气味。在旷场试验和高架十字迷宫试验中，小鼠接触TMT时表现出“焦虑”行为。相反，接触PEA会产生“抗焦虑”作用，高架十字迷宫试验结束后血液皮质酮水平降低证实了这一点。与接触TMT相比，接触甲苯会产生中度“焦虑”作用。
