Effects of social isolation and crowding upon active-avoidance performance in the rat

Viveros, María-Paz; Hernández, René Landero; Gallego, Alba Guijarro

doi:10.3758/bf03205243

Cited by 21 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 20 publications

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“…A previous report demonstrated a decrease in social avoidance in ISO rats, but in that study both the experimental rat and the stimulus rat had free access to both sides of the two-chamber apparatus [37]. The present results are unique in that the ESIT paradigm is similar to those used in active avoidance; in line with this, male rats exposed to PSI were impaired in learning an active-avoidance task [38]. Interestingly, though we predicted that ISO rats would spend less time escaping an aggressive stimulus rat than GRP rats, we were surprised to observe that during the third trial, ISO rats escaped less from an aggressive stimulus rat than a nonaggressive one.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 78%

A novel escapable social interaction test reveals that social behavior and mPFC activation during an escapable social encounter are altered by post-weaning social isolation and are dependent on the aggressiveness of the stimulus rat

Goodell

Ahern

Baynard

et al. 2017

Behavioural Brain Research

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Post-weaning social isolation (PSI) has been shown to increase aggressive behavior and alter medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) function in social species such as rats. Here we developed a novel escapable social interaction test (ESIT) allowing for the quantification of escape and social behaviors in addition to mPFC activation in response to an aggressive or nonaggressive stimulus rat. Male rats were exposed to 3 weeks of PSI (ISO) or group (GRP) housing, and exposed to 3 trials, with either no trial, all trials, or the last trial only with a stimulus rat. Analysis of social behaviors indicated that ISO rats spent less time in the escape chamber and more time engaged in social interaction, aggressive grooming, and boxing than did GRP rats. Interestingly, during the third trial all rats engaged in more of the quantified social behaviors and spent less time escaping in response to aggressive but not nonaggressive stimulus rats. Rats exposed to nonaggressive stimulus rats on the third trial had greater c-fos and ARC immunoreactivity in the mPFC than those exposed to an aggressive stimulus rat. Conversely, a social encounter produced an increase in large PSD-95 punctae in the mPFC independently of trial number, but only in ISO rats exposed to an aggressive stimulus rat. The results presented here demonstrate that PSI increases interaction time and aggressive behaviors during escapable social interaction, and that the aggressiveness of the stimulus rat in a social encounter is an important component of behavioral and neural outcomes for both isolation and group-reared rats.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 78%

A novel escapable social interaction test reveals that social behavior and mPFC activation during an escapable social encounter are altered by post-weaning social isolation and are dependent on the aggressiveness of the stimulus rat

Goodell

Ahern

Baynard

et al. 2017

Behavioural Brain Research

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“…Abnormalities in the behavioral response of isolated rats to distinct challenges have been associated with functional changes in the endocrine response, although differences in social isolation procedures or test environments among studies have led to apparently discrepant results. For example, the basal level of corticosterone in plasma was found to be either unchanged (Morinan and Leonard 1980;Viveros et al 1988;Haller and Halàsz 1999), increased (Rivier and Vale 1987;Greco et al 1990;Genaro et al 2004;Sandstrom and Hart 2005) or decreased (Miachon et al 1993;Sanchez et al 1998;Chida et al 2005) in socially isolated animals.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 96%

Social isolation-induced changes in the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis in the rat

Serra

Pisu

Floris³

et al. 2005

Stress

119

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Social isolation of rats both reduces the cerebrocortical and plasma concentrations of 3a-hydroxy-5a-pregnan-20-one (3a,5a-TH PROG) and 3a,5a-tetrahydrodeoxycorticosterone and potentiates the positive effects of acute stress and ethanol on the concentrations of these neuroactive steroids. We now show that social isolation decreased the plasma level of adrenocorticotropin (ACTH), moreover, intracerebroventricular administration of corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) induced a marked increase in the plasma corticosterone level in both isolated and group-housed rats, but this effect was significantly greater in the isolated rats (+121%) than in the group-housed rats (+86%). In addition, in isolated rats, a low dose of dexamethasone had no effect on the plasma corticosterone concentration, whereas, a high dose significantly reduced it; both doses of dexamethasone reduced plasma corticosterone in group-housed rats. Furthermore, the corticosterone level after injection of dexamethasone at the high dose was significantly greater in the isolated animals than in the group-housed rats. These results suggest that social isolation increased sensitivity of the pituitary to CRF and impaired negative feedback regulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis.

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“…It is not acceptable to use the same methods for long periods without monitoring the population. • For rodent populations, like most other mammal populations, self-regulation has been shown to take effect in order to prevent overpopulation (Calhoun 1949;Viveros and Herna´ndez 1989;Engelbrecht and Reichmuth 1997). • If the use of more aggressive control methods is absolutely necessary, a spatially and temporarily restricted use of rodenticides is recommended.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Habitat preferences and distribution of the brown rat (Rattus norvegicus Berk.) in the city of Salzburg (Austria): implications for an urban rat management

et al. 2006

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Habitat preferences and distribution of the brown rat (Rattus norvegicus Berk.) in the city of Salzburg (Austria): implications for an urban rat management Abstract The population of Rattus norvegicus was assessed using live traps and hair sampling tubes in 71 discrete patches distributed in the urban area of the city of Salzburg, Austria. R. norvegicus occurred in 35% of the examined habitats and reached a maximum density of 113.12 individuals/km along water banks. The occurrence of rats was strongly influenced by vegetation, habitat modification and man-made impact in the area. The results of this study could be used to support the development of a new, more scientifically based rat management plan in cooperation with the city of Salzburg.

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Effects of social isolation and crowding upon active-avoidance performance in the rat

Cited by 21 publications

References 20 publications

A novel escapable social interaction test reveals that social behavior and mPFC activation during an escapable social encounter are altered by post-weaning social isolation and are dependent on the aggressiveness of the stimulus rat

A novel escapable social interaction test reveals that social behavior and mPFC activation during an escapable social encounter are altered by post-weaning social isolation and are dependent on the aggressiveness of the stimulus rat

Social isolation-induced changes in the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis in the rat

Habitat preferences and distribution of the brown rat (Rattus norvegicus Berk.) in the city of Salzburg (Austria): implications for an urban rat management

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