Elsevier

Biological Psychiatry

Volume 21, Issue 1, January 1986, Pages 49-58
Biological Psychiatry

Selective breeding for increased cholinergic function: Development of a new animal model of depression

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Abstract

Two lines of rats that were selectively bred to vary in their sensitivity to the antichol- inesterase DFP exhibited different degrees of behavioral depression after injection of the muscarinic agonist arecoline (2 mg/kg). The line of rats with increased behavioral depres- sion after arecoline (the Flinders sensitive or S-line) also exhibited a greater reduction of activity in an open field chamber following exposure to foot shock and greater immobility in a forced swim test than the line of rats with reduced behavioral depression after arecoline (the Flinders resistant or R-line). In addition, the Flinders S-line exhibited a better memory on an inhibitory avoidance task. These differences were not related to differences in shock sensitivity between the lines. Thus, the Flinders S-line of rats reacts to both mild Stressors and a cholinergic agonist with greater behavioral depression and may, therefore, be a useful new animal model of human depressive disorders, one that focuses on cholinergic supersensitivity.

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    Supported in part by funds from the Flinders University Research Budget. Presented in preliminary form at the 14th Annual Meeting of the Society for Neuroscience, Anaheim. CA, October 10–15, 1984.

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