Kata Kozma1, Ferenc Kassai2, Aliz J Ernyey3, István Gyertyán4. 1. MTA-SE NAP B Cognitive Translational Behavioural Pharmacology Group, Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Faculty of Medicine, Semmelweis University, Nagyvárad tér 4, Budapest, 1089, Hungary; Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience and Psychology, Research Center for Natural Sciences, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Magyar tudósok körútja 2, Budapest, 1117, Hungary. 2. MTA-SE NAP B Cognitive Translational Behavioural Pharmacology Group, Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Faculty of Medicine, Semmelweis University, Nagyvárad tér 4, Budapest, 1089, Hungary; Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience and Psychology, Research Center for Natural Sciences, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Magyar tudósok körútja 2, Budapest, 1117, Hungary. Electronic address: kassai.ferenc@med.semmelweis-univ.hu. 3. MTA-SE NAP B Cognitive Translational Behavioural Pharmacology Group, Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Faculty of Medicine, Semmelweis University, Nagyvárad tér 4, Budapest, 1089, Hungary; Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience and Psychology, Research Center for Natural Sciences, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Magyar tudósok körútja 2, Budapest, 1117, Hungary. Electronic address: aliz.ernyey@med.semmelweis-univ.hu. 4. MTA-SE NAP B Cognitive Translational Behavioural Pharmacology Group, Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Faculty of Medicine, Semmelweis University, Nagyvárad tér 4, Budapest, 1089, Hungary; Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience and Psychology, Research Center for Natural Sciences, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Magyar tudósok körútja 2, Budapest, 1117, Hungary. Electronic address: gyertyan.istvan@med.semmelweis-univ.hu.
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Impaired cooperative skills form a characteristic symptom in autism, which lacks adequate treatment. The objective of this study was to establish a rat cooperation assay which fits the feasibility and capacity requirements of drug development. METHODS: Long-Evans and Lister Hooded rats were trained in pairs to simultaneously perform nose-pokes (within 1 s) for reward in a Skinner box equipped with two nose-poke modules. Conditioning took place first with naive-naive pairs, then with naive-experienced and finally with experienced-experienced pairs, when the task was familiar for both rats. In a control experiment, experienced Lister-hooded pairs were tested under the learnt schedule but without the possibility to communicate with each other. RESULTS: Rats were able to learn the task in 8-15 sessions. Experienced-experienced Long-Evans pairs completed the training significantly faster than the other pairs Analysis of the nose-poke latency data, sample video-recordings and the significantly decreased performance of rats in the control experiment suggested that the animals solved the task via real cooperation. DISCUSSION: The newly developed rat cooperation model is quick and has sufficiently high throughput, therefore it may be used in the drug development of putative social cognitive enhancer compounds.
INTRODUCTION: Impaired cooperative skills form a characteristic symptom in autism, which lacks adequate treatment. The objective of this study was to establish a rat cooperation assay which fits the feasibility and capacity requirements of drug development. METHODS: Long-Evans and Lister Hooded rats were trained in pairs to simultaneously perform nose-pokes (within 1 s) for reward in a Skinner box equipped with two nose-poke modules. Conditioning took place first with naive-naive pairs, then with naive-experienced and finally with experienced-experienced pairs, when the task was familiar for both rats. In a control experiment, experienced Lister-hooded pairs were tested under the learnt schedule but without the possibility to communicate with each other. RESULTS:Rats were able to learn the task in 8-15 sessions. Experienced-experienced Long-Evans pairs completed the training significantly faster than the other pairs Analysis of the nose-poke latency data, sample video-recordings and the significantly decreased performance of rats in the control experiment suggested that the animals solved the task via real cooperation. DISCUSSION: The newly developed rat cooperation model is quick and has sufficiently high throughput, therefore it may be used in the drug development of putative social cognitive enhancer compounds.
Authors: István Gyertyán; Jana Lubec; Alíz Judit Ernyey; Christopher Gerner; Ferenc Kassai; Predrag Kalaba; Kata Kozma; Iva Cobankovic; Gábor Brenner; Judith Wackerlig; Eva Franschitz; Ernst Urban; Thierry Langer; Jovana Malikovic; Gert Lubec Journal: Sci Rep Date: 2021-12-14 Impact factor: 4.379