Lianne Robinson1, Gernot Riedel2. 1. School of Medical Sciences, College of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Aberdeen, Institute of Medical Sciences, Foresterhill, Aberdeen, AB25 2ZD, Scotland, UK. Electronic address: l.x.strachan@dundee.ac.uk. 2. School of Medical Sciences, College of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Aberdeen, Institute of Medical Sciences, Foresterhill, Aberdeen, AB25 2ZD, Scotland, UK.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Different automated systems have been developed to facilitate long-term and continuous assessment of behaviours including locomotor activity, feeding behaviour and circadian activity. NEW METHOD: This study assessed the effectiveness of three different observation systems as methods for determining strain and pharmacological induced differences in locomotor activity, feeding behaviour and spatial learning. The effect of the CB1 antagonist AM251 on feeding behaviour was determined in the PhenoMaster and PhenoTyper. Next, effects of cholinergic (scopolamine) and glutamatergic (Phenylcyclidine, PCP) receptor antagonism and dopaminergic agonism (apomorphine) on activity were assessed in the PhenoTyper and IntelliCage. Finally, the IntelliCage was utilised to determine differences in activity and spatial learning of C57BL/6 and DBA/2 mouse strains following pharmacological intervention. RESULTS: AM251 induced a suppression of food intake, feeding behaviour and a reduction in body weight in both the PhenoTyper and PhenoMaster. Apomorphine reduced activity in both the PhenoTyper and IntelliCage. Whereas, decreased activity was evident with PCP in the PhenoTyper, but not IntelliCage and Scopolamine induced a trend towards elevated levels of activity in the IntelliCage but not PhenoTyper. Strain differences in activity and spatial learning were also evident, with increased corner visits and drug induced impairments only observed with C57BL/6 mice. COMPARISON WITH EXISTING METHOD: The automated home cage observation systems determined similar drug and strain effects on behaviour to those observed using traditional methods. CONCLUSIONS: All three observation systems reported drug-induced changes in behaviour however, they differ in their application of spatial learning tasks and utilisation of single versus group housed recordings.
BACKGROUND: Different automated systems have been developed to facilitate long-term and continuous assessment of behaviours including locomotor activity, feeding behaviour and circadian activity. NEW METHOD: This study assessed the effectiveness of three different observation systems as methods for determining strain and pharmacological induced differences in locomotor activity, feeding behaviour and spatial learning. The effect of the CB1 antagonist AM251 on feeding behaviour was determined in the PhenoMaster and PhenoTyper. Next, effects of cholinergic (scopolamine) and glutamatergic (Phenylcyclidine, PCP) receptor antagonism and dopaminergic agonism (apomorphine) on activity were assessed in the PhenoTyper and IntelliCage. Finally, the IntelliCage was utilised to determine differences in activity and spatial learning of C57BL/6 and DBA/2 mouse strains following pharmacological intervention. RESULTS: AM251 induced a suppression of food intake, feeding behaviour and a reduction in body weight in both the PhenoTyper and PhenoMaster. Apomorphine reduced activity in both the PhenoTyper and IntelliCage. Whereas, decreased activity was evident with PCP in the PhenoTyper, but not IntelliCage and Scopolamine induced a trend towards elevated levels of activity in the IntelliCage but not PhenoTyper. Strain differences in activity and spatial learning were also evident, with increased corner visits and drug induced impairments only observed with C57BL/6 mice. COMPARISON WITH EXISTING METHOD: The automated home cage observation systems determined similar drug and strain effects on behaviour to those observed using traditional methods. CONCLUSIONS: All three observation systems reported drug-induced changes in behaviour however, they differ in their application of spatial learning tasks and utilisation of single versus group housed recordings.
Authors: Steve D M Brown; Chris C Holmes; Ann-Marie Mallon; Terrence F Meehan; Damian Smedley; Sara Wells Journal: Nat Rev Genet Date: 2018-06 Impact factor: 53.242
Authors: Maria Gulinello; Heather A Mitchell; Qiang Chang; W Timothy O'Brien; Zhaolan Zhou; Ted Abel; Li Wang; Joshua G Corbin; Surabi Veeraragavan; Rodney C Samaco; Nick A Andrews; Michela Fagiolini; Toby B Cole; Thomas M Burbacher; Jacqueline N Crawley Journal: Neurobiol Learn Mem Date: 2018-01-04 Impact factor: 2.877
Authors: Timothy H Murphy; Nicholas J Michelson; Jamie D Boyd; Tony Fong; Luis A Bolanos; David Bierbrauer; Teri Siu; Matilde Balbi; Federico Bolanos; Matthieu Vanni; Jeff M LeDue Journal: Elife Date: 2020-05-15 Impact factor: 8.140
Authors: Maarten Loos; Bastijn Koopmans; Emmeke Aarts; Gregoire Maroteaux; Sophie van der Sluis; Matthijs Verhage; August B Smit Journal: PLoS One Date: 2014-09-29 Impact factor: 3.240