Differential aversive and mnemonic components displayed by four different strains of rats in the Passive Avoidance Task.

ORCE, I.G.,CALDERÓN M, SERRANO L, SORIA G, FRAILE M, LANDA AI, GARGIULO PA.

San Luis, Argentina.-

Congreso; XXIV Reunión Anual de la Sociedad de Biología de Cuyo. San Luis, 30/11 a 03/12 de 2006. Abstract en prensa en Biocell.; 2006

Sociedad de Biologia de Cuyo

Differential aversive and mnemonic components displayed by four different strains of rats in the Passive Avoidance Task. ORCE IG (georginaorce@gmail.com),Calderón M, Serrano L, Soria G, Fraile M, Landa AI, Gargiulo PA. Lab. Neuroc. Ps. Exp. (IMBECU-CONICET). A. Farm. D. Patol. F.C.M. U.N.C.-      In previous studies we have proposed a passive avoidance task in which aversive-anxiogenic and mnemonic components were differentially measured. We studied here differences between individual patterns despite environmental conditions as a way to understand genetic elements of behaviour comparing different behavioural patterns observed in strains of Rattus norvegicus in a passive avoidance task. Males of four different strains of rats (Holtzman, Wistar, Atriche IPL y Sprague Dawley) were studied, weighing 230-250 g (n=15). The following parameters were considered: latency 1, latency 2, and the number of fecal boli expelled during training and experiment. No differences were observed in latency 1 and latency 2. Wistar strain rats exhibited a low number of fecal boli during test (p<0.05) when compared to Atriche IPL and Holtzman. We conclude that this genetic difference could be interpreted as a lower affective reactivity of this strain when compared with Atriche IPL and Holtzman, without differences in memory component of the test. Present study was supported with a grant of the Secretary of Science and Technology of the National University of Cuyo (06/J164).