Correlation between two animal models of state anxiety in Kunming mice: evidence from open field test and light-dark box / 中华行为医学与脑科学杂志

ABSTRACT

ObjectiveTo explore the correlation between open field test(OFT) and light-dark box (LDB),as two animal models of state anxiety in Kunming mice.MethodsThe behavior of adult,male,Kunming mice in OFT and LDB was recorded by sequence,for five minutes,with a one-week inter-trial interval.The following parameters were evaluatedpercentage of time exploring in the OFT central area( OFT-Ctime％ ) ; percentage of squares crossing in the OFT central area( OFT-Ccross％ ) ; total number of squares crossing in OFT(OFT-Cross) ;total number of rears in the OFT(OFT-Rear) ; number of fecal boli in OFT(OFT-FB) ; percentage of time exploring in the LDB light area( LDB-Ltime％ ) ; percentage of squares crossing in the LDB light area( LDB-Lcross％ ) ;and percentage of rears in the LDB light area( LDB-Lrear％ ) ; transitions between two areas in LDB( LDB-Transition) ; total number of squares crossing in LDB(LDB-Croas) ; total number of rears in LDB(LDB-Rear) ; number of fecal boli in LDB (LDB-FB).Subsequently,factor analysis,cluster analysis and correlation analysis were calculated for these parameters.ResultsFactor analysis and cluster analysis of variances from either OFT or LDB revealed a three behavioral dimensionsanxiety factor ( loaded by OFT-Ctime％,OFT-Ccross％ or LDB-Ltime％,LDB-Lcross％,LDB-Lrear％ ),activity factor ( loaded by OFT-Cross,OFT-Rear or LDB-Transition,LDB-Cross,LDB-Rear) and emotionality factor(loaded by OFT-FB or LDB-FB).While all the variances from both OFT and LDB in combination were analyzed,it could be seen as five components' LDB-anxiety factor ( loaded by LDBLtime％,LDB-Lcross％ and LDB-Lrear％ ),' OFT-anxiety factor ( loaded by OFT-Ctime％ and OFT-Ccross％ ),'LDB-activity factor (loaded by LDB-Transition,LDB-Cross and LDB-Rear),'OFT-LDB-emotionality factor( loaded by OFT-FB and LDB-FB) and 'OFT-activity factor (loaded by OFT-Cross and OFT-Rear).Good correlation were found between OFT/LDB factors alone and in combination,such as OFT-emotionality factor and LDB-emotionality factor(Pearson =0.383,P＜0.05),LDB-anxiety factor and 'LDB-anxiety factor( Pearson =0.989,P＜0.01 ),OFT-anxiety factor and 'OFT-anxiety factor( Pearson =0.934,P ＜ 0.01 ),LDB-activity factor and 'LDB-activity factor ( Pearson =0.956,P ＜ 0.01 ),OFT/LDB-emotionality factor and ' OFT-LDB-emotionality factor ( Pearson =0.835,P＜0.01 ;Pearson =0.696,P＜0.01 ),OFT-activity factor and 'OFF-activity factor( Pearson =0.926,P＜0.01 ).ConclusionEither OFT or LDB comprised three behavioral dimensionsanxiety factor,activity factor and emotionality factor; however,it was difficult to establish face validity as a point-to-point concordance between OFT and LDB.Attention should be paid to heterogeneity of animal models when OFT and LDB were in combination as a behavionomics to evaluate anxiolytics in Kunming mice.