Reduction of abnormal behavioral response to brief restraint by information from other mice in dystrophin-deficient mdx mice

Yamamoto, Kazuhiro; Yamada, Daisuke; Kabuta, Tomohiro; Takahashi, Akio; Wada, Keiji; Sekiguchi, Masayuki

doi:10.1016/j.nmd.2010.05.006

« Previous Next »Neuromuscular Disorders
Volume 20, Issue 8 , Pages 505-511, August 2010

Reduction of abnormal behavioral response to brief restraint by information from other mice in dystrophin-deficient mdx mice

Kazuhiro Yamamoto
- Department of Degenerative Neurological Diseases, National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, 4-1-1 Ogawahigashi, Kodaira, Tokyo 187-8502, Japan
- Administrative Section of Laboratory Animal Resources, National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, 4-1-1 Ogawahigashi, Kodaira, Tokyo 187-8502, Japan
Daisuke Yamada
- Department of Degenerative Neurological Diseases, National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, 4-1-1 Ogawahigashi, Kodaira, Tokyo 187-8502, Japan
- CREST, Japan Science and Technology Agency, Kawaguchi, Saitama 322-0012, Japan
Tomohiro Kabuta
- Department of Degenerative Neurological Diseases, National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, 4-1-1 Ogawahigashi, Kodaira, Tokyo 187-8502, Japan
Akio Takahashi
- Administrative Section of Laboratory Animal Resources, National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, 4-1-1 Ogawahigashi, Kodaira, Tokyo 187-8502, Japan
Keiji Wada
- Department of Degenerative Neurological Diseases, National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, 4-1-1 Ogawahigashi, Kodaira, Tokyo 187-8502, Japan
- CREST, Japan Science and Technology Agency, Kawaguchi, Saitama 322-0012, Japan
Masayuki Sekiguchi
- Department of Degenerative Neurological Diseases, National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, 4-1-1 Ogawahigashi, Kodaira, Tokyo 187-8502, Japan
- CREST, Japan Science and Technology Agency, Kawaguchi, Saitama 322-0012, Japan
- Corresponding author at: Department of Degenerative Neurological Diseases, National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, 4-1-1 Ogawahigashi, Kodaira, Tokyo 187-8502, Japan. Tel.: +81 42 341 2711; fax: +81 42 341 1745.

Received 18 November 2009; received in revised form 7 May 2010; accepted 14 May 2010.

Abstract

We recently reported that dystrophin-deficient mdx mice exhibited a hypersensitive freezing response to fearful events such as brief restraint. In the present study, we ethologically characterized the restraint-induced freezing response in mdx mice. This response was evident when restrained mdx mice were released into a new cage or their home cage, but it was remarkably reduced in cages in which other individuals (wild-type mice that had never been reared with the tested mice) had been reared (the resident mice were removed prior to testing). Reciprocally, exploratory behaviors of restrained mdx mice were outstandingly enhanced in the cages in which other individuals had been reared, suggesting the possibility that scent deposited by residents induced exploration in mdx mice. These results suggest that restraint-induced freezing response in mdx mice is influenced by the attention state of the mouse.

Keywords: Duchenne muscular dystrophy, mdx mouse, Behavior, Olfactory information, Attention