Effects of housing conditions on three behavioral tests in rats
Xavier, G.F.; Zelger, K.D.; Zelger, J.L.; de-Albuquerque, A.A.
Brazilian Journal of Medical and Biological Research 16(1): 65-71
1983
ISSN/ISBN: 0100-879X PMID: 6685550 Document Number: 212449
Groups of rats housed since weaning under two different kinds of housing conditions (wire and wooden cages) were compared at adulthood in the open field test, the step-through passive avoidance test, and for aggressiveness induced by REM-sleep deprivation and apomorphine administration. In the open field test wire-caged rats showed less rearing and grooming than wood-caged rats. This difference was accentuated by a single previous electrical shock (i.e., wire-caged rats exhibited less ambulation, rearing and grooming and more defecation than wood-caged rats, after shock) and was not altered by prior habituation to handling. In the passive avoidance test there were no significant differences between wire- and wood-caged rats. Wire-caged rats were more aggressive than wood-caged rats after REM-sleep deprivation and the administration of apomorphine. These results show that the control of previous housing conditions is an important variable to be considered in behavioral studies.