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The Forced Swim Test as a Model of Depressive-like Behavior

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Published on: March 2, 2015

A2 noradrenergic neurons regulate forced swim test immobility.

Hyungwoo Nam¹, Ilan A Kerman²

¹Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, United States.

Physiology & Behavior

|August 25, 2016

Summary

Wistar-Kyoto rats, a depression model, show altered brainstem noradrenergic cell activation. Specifically, reduced A2 noradrenergic cell activity contributes to their unique immobility behavior in the forced swim test.

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Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Behavioral Neuroscience
Animal Models

Background:

The Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rat is a key animal model for studying depression, exhibiting distinct noradrenergic signaling dysregulation.
WKY rats display unique forced swim test (FST) behaviors, including initial high immobility and increased immobility upon re-exposure, differing from Wistar rats.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate if altered activation of brainstem noradrenergic cell groups contributes to the unique behavioral profile of WKY rats in the FST.
To compare the activation patterns of noradrenergic cell groups in WKY and Wistar rats under different FST conditions.

Main Methods:

WKY and Wistar rats were subjected to either a single 5-minute FST or a standard two-day FST.
Brain tissue was analyzed using FOS/tyrosine hydroxylase double-immunocytochemistry to assess noradrenergic cell group activation.

Keywords:

Behavior Depression Forced swim test Fos Rat

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Selective lesions of A2 noradrenergic neurons were induced in Wistar rats using anti-dopamine-β-hydroxylase-conjugated saporin.

Main Results:

WKY rats showed relative hyperactivation in the locus coeruleus compared to Wistar rats following both one- and two-day FST protocols.
WKY rats exhibited diminished FOS expression in the A2 noradrenergic cell group across both FST days, indicating reduced activation.
Lesioning A2 noradrenergic neurons in Wistar rats led to increased immobility in the FST on both days.

Conclusions:

The A2 noradrenergic cell group plays a regulatory role in FST behavior.
Hypoactivation of the A2 noradrenergic cell group may underlie the distinct behavioral phenotype observed in WKY rats, contributing to depression-like behaviors.