[Grooming and motor activity of rats during hyperbaric exposure].

An experiment was performed in which Wistar male rats were exposed to a N2-O2 atmosphere at 10 kgf/sm2 or He-O2 atmosphere at 10 and 40 kgf/cm2. During the experiment grooming and motor activity as well as plasma corticosterone were investigated. Irrespective of the atmosphere composition, behavioural and biochemical parameters were found to increase significantly. At 10 kgf/cm2, the grooming frequency returned to normal faster than at a higher pressure. These observations give evidence for a nonspecific effect of the above hyperbaric factors on the parameters taken under study.