Chronic variable stress prevents amphetamine-elicited 50-kHz calls in rats with low positive affectivity

Kõiv, Kristi; Metelitsa, Mait; Vares, Marten; Tiitsaar, Kai; Raudkivi, Karita; Jaako, Külli; Vulla, Kaspar; Shimmo, Ruth; Harro, Jaanus

doi:10.1016/j.euroneuro.2016.02.011

Cited by 16 publications

(23 citation statements)

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“…Five experiments (42%) used a median split of their average response on the 12-14 th day of tickling [27, 32–34]. Four experiments (33%) used calling rate as a continuous covariate [19, 35, 36].…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This article was using tickling to model the importance of play behavior during adolescence. Finally, an additional article has used tickling to evaluate calling rates and drug administration to further investigate the effects of trait differences on chronic variable stress as a model of depressions [34]. Overall, tickling is a promising method to evaluate pharmacological compounds designed to improve psychological measures of affect while also considering the individual differences in calling rates.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Rat tickling: A systematic review of applications, outcomes, and moderators

et al. 2017

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IntroductionRats initially fear humans which can increase stress and impact study results. Additionally, studying positive affective states in rats has proved challenging. Rat tickling is a promising habituation technique that can also be used to model and measure positive affect. However, current studies use a variety of methods to achieve differential results. Our objective was to systematically identify, summarize, and evaluate the research on tickling in rats to provide direction for future investigation. Our specific aims were to summarize current methods used in tickling experiments, outcomes from tickling, and moderating factors.MethodsWe systematically evaluated all articles about tickling identified from PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and PsychInfo. Our inclusion criteria were publication in a peer-reviewed journal and collection of original, empirical data on rats using the handling method of tickling. One researcher extracted information from each article. Bias was assessed by 2 investigators using the SYRCLE bias assessment tool.ResultsWe identified 32 articles (56 experiments) published in peer-reviewed journals about rat tickling for inclusion. A wide variety of strains, sexes, and ages of rats were included. The most common method used for tickling was cycling through 15 seconds of tickling and 15 seconds of rest for 2 minutes for 3 to 5 days. Experiments with a control for tickling (N = 22) showed that tickling increases positive vocalization, approach behavior, decreases anxiety measures, improves handling, and in some cases decreases stress hormones. Tickling juvenile, individually housed rats with a trait predisposition to respond more positively to tickling, results in the most positive outcomes. Methods to reduce bias were insufficiently reported.ConclusionsWe conclude that tickling is a promising method for improving rat welfare and investigating positive affect. However, the establishment of tickling best practices is essential as the outcomes from tickling can be moderated by several factors.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Rat tickling: A systematic review of applications, outcomes, and moderators

et al. 2017

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“…This hypothesis may be strengthened by the finding that buspirone, a drug that may attenuate the negative symptoms of schizophrenia when added to antipsychotic therapy, restored calling behavior in PCP-treated rats subjected to tickling (Boulay et al 2013). Moreover, emission of 50-kHz USVs may be useful in studies of the modifications in the emotional state of rats subjected to models of depression, as suggested by recent findings showing that rats previously exposed to CMS emitted low numbers of 50-kHz USVs in response to amphetamine administration (Kõiv et al 2016).…”

Section: Towards Improved Behavioral Animal Models: the Example Of Ulmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For example, rodents subjected to CMS drink lower amounts of solutions containing 1% sucrose, compared with non-stressed animals. Moreover, rats subjected to the CMS and treated with amphetamine emit lower numbers of 50-kHz ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs), a behavioral marker of positive emotional states (Brudzynski 2013), compared with amphetamine-treated rats not exposed to stress (Kõiv et al 2016). Finally, behavioral changes observed in the CMS model can be effectively reversed by repeated, but not acute, administration of antidepressant drugs with clinical efficacy.…”

Section: Animal Models Used To Evaluate the Antidepressant Potential mentioning

confidence: 99%

Experimental Psychopharmacology

Simola¹

2019

NeuroPsychopharmacotherapy

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Studies of psychopharmacology in experimental animals are a major source of information on the effects that drugs elicit on superior brain functions. Moreover, studies of psychopharmacology are a key step in the refinement of existing drugs and development of new drugs for the treatment of psychiatric diseases, such as anxiety, depression, and psychosis. The present chapter provides an overview of the techniques and animal models that can be used in studies of experimental psychopharmacology and discusses their strengths and limitations.

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“…To date, the only studies that provide some evidence of a possible relationship between glucocorticoid signaling and calling in the 50 kHz frequency band were performed in rats previously and repeatedly exposed to stress, which elevates the plasma levels of corticosterone ( Smith and Gala, 1977 ; Giralt et al, 1987 ). Thus, stress-exposed rats emitted a lower number of 50-kHz USVs in situations that may be rewarding, such as heterospecific playful contacts (“tickling”) or amphetamine administration, compared with stress-naïve rats ( Popik et al, 2012 , 2014 ; Kõiv et al, 2016 ). Moreover, administration of the corticosterone synthesis inhibitor metyrapone during stress imposition restored calling in response to tickling ( Popik et al, 2014 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Modulation of Rat 50-kHz Ultrasonic Vocalizations by Glucocorticoid Signaling: Possible Relevance to Reward and Motivation

Simola

Paci

Serra

et al. 2017

International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology

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BackgroundRats emit 50-kHz ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) to communicate positive emotional states, and these USVs are increasingly being investigated in preclinical studies on reward and motivation. Although it is the activation of dopamine receptors that initiates the emission of 50-kHz USVs, non-dopaminergic mechanisms may modulate calling in the 50 kHz frequency band. To further elucidate these mechanisms, the present study investigated whether the pharmacological manipulation of glucocorticoid signaling influenced calling.MethodsRats were administered corticosterone (1–5 mg/kg, s.c.), the glucocorticoid receptor antagonist mifepristone (40 or 100 mg/kg, s.c.), or the corticosterone synthesis inhibitor metyrapone (50 or 100 mg/kg, i.p.). The effects of these drugs on calling initiation and on calling recorded during nonaggressive social contacts or after the administration of amphetamine (0.25 or 1 mg/kg, i.p.) were then evaluated.ResultsCorticosterone failed to initiate the emission of 50-kHz USVs and did not influence pro-social and amphetamine-stimulated calling. Similarly, mifepristone and metyrapone did not initiate calling. However, metyrapone suppressed pro-social calling and calling stimulated by a moderate dose (1 mg/kg, i.p.) of amphetamine. Conversely, mifepristone attenuated calling stimulated by a low (0.25 mg/kg, i.p.), but not moderate (1 mg/kg, i.p.), dose of amphetamine and had no influence on pro-social calling.ConclusionsThe present results demonstrate that glucocorticoid signaling modulates calling in the 50 kHz frequency band only in certain conditions and suggest that mechanisms different from the inhibition of corticosterone synthesis may participate in the suppression of calling by metyrapone.

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Chronic variable stress prevents amphetamine-elicited 50-kHz calls in rats with low positive affectivity

Cited by 16 publications

References 60 publications

Rat tickling: A systematic review of applications, outcomes, and moderators

Rat tickling: A systematic review of applications, outcomes, and moderators

Experimental Psychopharmacology

Modulation of Rat 50-kHz Ultrasonic Vocalizations by Glucocorticoid Signaling: Possible Relevance to Reward and Motivation

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