Khatiz Ariane, Tomlinson Cassidy, Ruzhytska Bohdana, Croft Erika Kathe, Amrani Abdelaziz, Dunn Shannon, Mendrek Adrianna, Gris Denis
Program of Physiology, University of Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada.
Program of Immunology, University of Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada.
Front Neurosci. 2025 Mar 3;19:1509822. doi: 10.3389/fnins.2025.1509822. eCollection 2025.
The present study aims to identify differences in behavioral profiles in post-pubertal C57BL/6J males and female mice across distinct phases of the reproductive cycle in a home cage environment.
To reduce human bias, we used an automated behavioral analysis system from CleverSys Inc. Mice were monitored continuously, and resulting data were summarized across 24-h, light, and dark cycles. Behavioral activities of each period were analyzed using hierarchical clustering, factor analysis, and principal component analysis.
Females exhibited higher levels of physically demanding activities, including ambulatory and exploratory movements, particularly during estrus and metestrus, with estrus showing up to 30% more activity than males. In contrast, males consistently engaged in more sleep-related behaviors across all phases, with significantly higher engagement during the light cycle compared to females in proestrus and estrus ( < 0.0001); the extent of this sex difference was greater during proestrus and estrus than in metestrus and diestrus ( < 0.01). Notably, distinct patterns of sleep fragmentation were observed, with females experiencing greater disruptions during the light cycle, while males showed similar disruptions during the dark cycle. Feeding and resourcing behaviors were highest in males, showing up to 20% increase compared to cycling females, as well as significantly engaging in habituation-related behaviors such as feeding and digging. Interphase differences were observed within females, such as a significant increase of habituation-related activities during estrus compared to proestrus and diestrus ( < 0.05), while during the dark cycle, these activities peaked during the diestrus phase ( < 0.05). Female mice in the metestrus phase exhibited more sleep-related behaviors than those in proestrus.
Our study has revealed prevalent behavioral differences due to sex, and inter-phase variations by employing a continuous monitoring approach designed to reduce bias. This methodology ensures a comprehensive understanding of natural behavioral patterns and strategies.
本研究旨在确定青春期后C57BL/6J雄性和雌性小鼠在笼内环境中生殖周期不同阶段的行为特征差异。
为减少人为偏差，我们使用了CleverSys公司的自动行为分析系统。对小鼠进行连续监测，并汇总24小时、光照和黑暗周期的数据。使用层次聚类、因子分析和主成分分析对每个时间段的行为活动进行分析。
雌性表现出更高水平的体力活动，包括走动和探索性运动，尤其是在发情期和发情后期，发情期的活动比雄性高出30%。相比之下，雄性在所有阶段都始终表现出更多与睡眠相关的行为，在光照周期中的参与度明显高于发情前期和发情期的雌性（P<0.0001）；这种性别差异在发情前期和发情期比发情后期和动情间期更大（P<0.01）。值得注意的是，观察到不同的睡眠碎片化模式，雌性在光照周期中经历更大的干扰，而雄性在黑暗周期中表现出类似的干扰。雄性的进食和觅食行为最高，与处于发情周期的雌性相比增加了20%，并且显著参与了与习惯化相关的行为，如进食和挖掘。在雌性中观察到间期差异，例如发情期与发情前期和动情间期相比，与习惯化相关的活动显著增加（P<0.05），而在黑暗周期中，这些活动在动情间期达到峰值（P<0.05）。发情后期的雌性小鼠比发情前期的雌性表现出更多与睡眠相关的行为。
我们的研究通过采用旨在减少偏差的连续监测方法，揭示了由于性别和间期变化导致的普遍行为差异。这种方法确保了对自然行为模式和策略的全面理解。
