Mouse behavior models anxiety

Schramm NL, McDonald MP, Limbird LE (2001) The alpha(2a)-adrenergic receptor plays a protective role in mouse behavioral models of depression and anxiety. J Neurosci 21 4875-4882... 

Schmidt P, Holsboer F, Spengler D (2001) Beta(2)-adrenergic receptors potentiate glucocorticoid receptor transactivation via G protein beta gamma-subimits and the phospho-inositide 3-kinase pathway. Mol Endocrinol 15 553-564 Schramm NL, McDonald MP, Limbird LE (2001) The alpha(2a)-adrenergic receptor plays a protective role in mouse behavioral models of depression and anxiety. J Neurosci 21 4875-4882... 

As examples for the wide field of specific disease areas and mouse models, we have included type 1 and 2 diabetes (Serreze and Baribault), cardiovascular disease (Howies), arthritis (Tak), skin disorders (Sundberg), cancer (Talmadge, Surguladze, and Li), the use of behavioral models for depression and anxiety (Kalueff), neurodegenerative diseases (Janus), neuromuscular diseases (Burgess), and infectious diseases (Medina). 

Animal models of fear and anxiety have primarily used the rat, the mouse and, to a lesser extent, nonhuman primates. It is not particularly difficult to evoke or measure anxiety in these species. However, difficulties arise when one attempts to define exactly how a stimulus and resultant behavioral response are related to human behavior, i.e. when a mouse exhibits freezing behavior to an unfamiliar and threatening cue, what is the human equivalent Or, similarly, what stimulus could one present to a rat to best model the anxiety-inducing-experience of... 

Recently, evidence was provided that in a rat model of innate high or low emotionality (see Sect. 3.1.1) the degree of anxiety is differentially associated with enhanced performance of distinct informational processes (Ohl et al. 2002). It was hypothesized that the increased anxiety-related behavior may be due to these differences in cognitive processing. Concerning the analysis of the interaction between anxiety and cognition, inbred mouse strains (see Sect. 3.1.2, such as C57BL/6 (BL6) and DBA/2 (DBA) mice, are also of interest. 

These examples underline that in the search for animal models of anxiety disorders it is not sufficient to screen for anxiety-related behavioral characteristics. On the contrary, it is of fundamental importance to phenotype extensively and carefully each potential animal model, even the well-established inbred mouse strains. 

Parmigiani S, Palanza P, Rodgers J, Ferrari PF (1999) Selection, evolution of behavior and animal models in behavioral neuroscience. Nemosci Biobehav Rev 23 957-970 Pellow S, Chopin P, File SE, Briley M (1985) Validation of open closed arm entries in an elevated plus-maze as a measure of anxiety in the rat. J Neurosci Methods 14 149-167 Picciotto MR (1999) Knock-out mouse models used to study nemobiological systems. Crit Rev Neurobiol 13 103-149... 

Generally, several different models of anxiety that target different domains (e.g., locomotion/exploration, risk assessment, defensive responses) are necessary in order to more fully characterize drug effects or a mutant mouse phenotype. The use of a single model, or only models targeting one particular behavioral domain, may not be sufficient. 

Ma, Y., H. Han, S.Y. Nam, et al. 2008. Cyclopeptide alkaloid fraction from Zizyphi Spinosi Semen enhances pentobarbital-induced sleeping behaviors. /. Ethnopharmacol. 117(2) 318-224. Peng, W.H., M.T. Hsieh, Y.S. Lee, Y.C. Lin, and J. Liao. 2000. Anxiolytic effect of seed of Ziziphus jujuba in mouse models of anxiety. /. Ethnopharmacol. 72(3) 435-441. 

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