Elevated zero maze as an animal model of state anxiety in Kunming mice：test-retest reliability / 中国药理学通报

ABSTRACT

Aim To explore the test-retest reliability of elevated zero maze (EZM), as an animal model of state anxiety in Kun-ming mice. Methods The behavior of adult, male and female, Kunming mice in EZM was recorded twice, for five minutes, with a one-week inter-trial interval. The following parameters were evaluated percentage of time on EZM open arms (Otime% ), time on EZM open arms ( Otime), time on EZM closed arms (Ctime), percentage of entries into EZM open arms (Oentries% ), entries into EZM open arms (Oentries), entries into EZM closed arms (Centries), total entries into EZM open and closed arms (Entries). Subsequently, the intraclass corre-lation coefficient ( ICC) and the kappa agreement index ( κ) were calculated for these parameters. Results ICC for Otime%(♂ ICC = 0. 753,P < 0. 01;♂ + ♀ ICC = 0. 535,P < 0. 05), Otime (♂ ICC = 0. 753, P < 0. 01; ♂ + ♀ ICC = 0. 535, P <0. 05), Ctime ( ♂ ICC = 0. 753, P < 0. 01; ♂ + ♀ ICC =0. 535, P < 0. 05), and Oentries (♂ ICC = 0. 719, P < 0. 01;♀ ICC = 0. 494, P < 0. 05; ♂ + ♀ ICC = 0. 583, P < 0. 01), Centries (♀ ICC = 0. 658, P < 0. 01; ♀ ICC = 0. 508, P <0. 05; ♂ + ♀ ICC = 0. 562, P < 0. 01), Entries ( ♂ ICC =0. 691, P < 0. 01; ♀ ICC = 0. 502, P < 0. 05; ♂ + ♀ ICC =0. 574, P < 0. 05) showed a good and fair test-retest reliability, respectively. Only κ for Otime% (♂ κ = 0. 393, P < 0. 05), Ctime (♂ κ = 0. 393, P < 0. 05), Oentries (♂ κ = 0. 308, P< 0. 05; ♂ + ♀ κ = 0. 256, P < 0. 05), Centries ( ♂ κ =0. 427, P < 0. 01; ♂ + ♀ κ = 0. 238, P < 0. 05), Entries (♂κ = 0. 469, P < 0. 01) displayed a significant but poor reliability between the test-retest trials. Conclusions The parameters Otime% and Entries for Kunming mice in EZM are stable over time, and indicate an acceptable reliability with a one-week in-ter-trial interval. Meanwhile, more attention should be paid not to repeated measure effect, but to the sex effect (Male animals recommended to EZM, especially).