Does rat global transient cerebral ischemia serve as an appropriate model to study emotional disturbances?

Authors
G. B. Bantsiele, D. Bentué-Ferrer, N. Amiot, H. Allain, M. Bourin et al.

Lab
Université de Rennes 1, Faculté de Médecine, Laboratoire de Pharmacologie, Rennes, France.

Journal
Fundamental & Clinical Pharmacology

Abstract
We used two validated psychopharmacological methods, the forced swimming test (FST 20 min and 5 min) and the elevated plus-maze (EPM), to quantify depression-like and anxiety-like behavior induced by transient global cerebral ischemia in the rat. We also validated use of these methods for the study of antidepressant (imipramine) and anti-anxiety drugs (diazepam). Twelve days after surgery to provoke transient global ischemia, spontaneous motor activity was 40% higher in ischemic rats than in sham-operated controls. Duration of immobility during the FST 20 min and 5 min was 28 and 30% shorter, respectively, than in controls. Treatment with imipramine (3 _ 30 mg/kg i.p.) induced a significantly shorter duration of immobility during the FST 5 min, but with no difference between ischemia and control rats. The EPM demonstrated that ischemia did not induce any change in the six behavior parameters measured. Diazepam (1.5 mg/kg i.p.) induced significant anxiolytic effects which were similar in ischemic and sham-operated animals. Both tests failed to demonstrate perturbed performance but conversely, these findings did disclose the sensitivity of ischemia-exposed rats to the action of imipramine and diazepam, demonstrating the usefulness of these tests as psychopharmocological tools for evaluating the effect of psychotropics in the ischemic rat.

BIOSEB Instruments Used:
Acquisition software: ACTITRACK (ACTITRACK),Infrared Actimeter (LE8815)