Department of Integrative Physiology, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, USA.
Institute for Behavioral Genetics, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, USA.
Genes Brain Behav. 2021 Sep;20(7):e12730. doi: 10.1111/gbb.12730. Epub 2021 May 9.
High and Low Activity strains of mice (displaying low and high anxiety-like behavior, respectively) with 7.8-20 fold differences in open-field activity were selected and subsequently inbred to use as a genetic model for studying anxiety-like behavior in mice (DeFries et al., 1978, Behavior Genetics, 8:3-13). These strains exhibited differences in other anxiety-related behaviors as assessed using the light-dark box, elevated plus-maze, mirror chamber, and elevated square-maze tests (Henderson et al., 2004, Behavior Genetics, 34: 267-293). The purpose of these experiments was three-fold. First, we repeated a 6-day behavioral battery using updated equipment and software to confirm the extreme differences in anxiety-like behaviors. Second, we tested novel object exploration, a measure of anxiety-like behavior that does not rely heavily on locomotion. Third, we conducted a home cage wheel running experiment to determine whether these strains differ in locomotor activity in a familiar, home cage environment. Our behavioral test battery confirmed extreme differences in multiple measures of anxiety-like behaviors. Furthermore, the novel object test demonstrated that the High Activity mice exhibited decreased anxiety-like behaviors (increased nose pokes) compared to Low Activity mice. Finally, male Low Activity mice ran nearly twice as far each day on running wheels compared to High Activity mice, while female High and Low Activity mice did not differ in wheel running. These results support the idea that the behavioral differences between High and Low Activity mice are likely to be due to anxiety-related factors and not simply generalized differences in locomotor activity.
高活动和低活动的小鼠品系（分别表现出低和高焦虑样行为）在旷场活动中的差异有 7.8-20 倍，随后进行近交，以作为研究小鼠焦虑样行为的遗传模型（DeFries 等人，1978 年，行为遗传学，8:3-13）。这些品系在使用明暗箱、高架十字迷宫、镜像室和高架方迷宫测试评估的其他与焦虑相关的行为中表现出差异（Henderson 等人，2004 年，行为遗传学，34:267-293）。这些实验的目的有三个。首先，我们使用更新的设备和软件重复了一个为期 6 天的行为电池测试，以确认焦虑样行为的极端差异。其次，我们测试了新奇物体探索，这是一种不依赖于运动的焦虑样行为测量方法。第三，我们进行了家笼轮跑实验，以确定这些品系在熟悉的家笼环境中是否在运动活动方面存在差异。我们的行为测试电池证实了多种焦虑样行为测量方法的极端差异。此外，新奇物体测试表明，与低活动小鼠相比，高活动小鼠表现出较低的焦虑样行为（增加了鼻子探查）。最后，与高活动小鼠相比，雄性低活动小鼠每天在跑步轮上的跑动距离几乎是其两倍，而雌性高活动和低活动小鼠在轮跑方面没有差异。这些结果支持了这样一种观点，即高活动和低活动小鼠之间的行为差异可能归因于与焦虑相关的因素，而不仅仅是运动活动的一般差异。
