Effects of septal-fiber knife cuts on rat open-field social behavior

Rats that received various septal fiber knife cuts were observed in an open-field to assess preoperative and postoperative social behaviors. Ventral septal fiber knife cuts isolated septum knife cuts and anterior-lateral knife cuts result in increases in contact time; in decreasesin aggressive behaviors/100 sec contact time; and in no change in the number of contacts. Anterior, posterior, or dorsal fiber knife cuts failed to produce significant changes in contact time, aggressive or submissive behavior, number of contacts, and activity. A postoperative decrease in initiating aggressive behaviors may explain increases in contact time following ventral septal fiber, isolated septum, and anterior-lateral knife cuts. The ventral-septal fiber tracts were critical in mediating social behavior, imply that - in relation to social behavior - there is a functional connection through the ventral fibers between structures beneath the septum (hypothalamus) and the septal nuclei.