Abstract
Described in this unit is the ultrasonic distress vocalization test in rat pups. This test is a reliable method for detecting anxiolytic properties of test compounds. In this test, ultrasonic vocalizations (30 to 50 kHz) are elicited by separating rat pups of 9 to 11 days of age from their mother and littermates for a brief period of time. The test can be performed under two different stress conditions. Pups are placed in isolation in either a warm (37°C) or cold (18°C) environment for 5 min. The total number and duration of ultrasonic calls emitted by the pups during this period is used as an index of anxiety. Established anxiolytic compounds, including benzodiazepines, serotonin1A receptor agonists, and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), consistently reduce the number and cumulative duration of these ultrasonic distress vocalizations. © 2008 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 5.18.1-5.18.14 |
| Number of pages | 14 |
| Journal | Current Protocols in Pharmacology |
| Issue number | SUPPL. 43 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 18 Dec 2008 |
Keywords
- Anxiety
- Distress
- Negative geotaxis
- Rat pup
- Ultrasonic vocalization
- nelivaptan
- 2 dipropylamino 8 hydroxytetralin
- alprazolam
- amitriptyline
- anxiolytic agent
- benzodiazepine derivative
- butyl[2,5 dimethyl 7 (2,4,6 trimethylphenyl) 7h pyrrolo[2,3 d]pyrimidin 4 yl]ethylamine
- chlordiazepoxide
- clonidine
- desipramine
- diazepam
- fluvoxamine
- imipramine
- ketanserin
- muscle relaxant agent
- neuroleptic agent
- psychostimulant agent
- serotonin 1A agonist
- serotonin uptake inhibitor
- tricyclic antidepressant agent
- anxiety
- high temperature
- human
- isolation procedure
- low temperature
- nonhuman
- priority journal
- rat
- review
- stress
- tranquilizing activity
- ultrasound
- vocalization