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Chronic Social Defeat Stress in Early Adolescent Male Mice
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[Resistance of DBA/2J Mice to the Chronic Social Defeat Stress]

G B Vishnivetskaya, D F Avgustinovich, N N Kudryavtseva

    Zhurnal Vysshei Nervnoi Deiatelnosti Imeni I P Pavlova
    |January 30, 2019
    PubMed

    Insights

    Male DBA/2J mice exposed to chronic social defeat stress showed increased anxiety and reduced communication, but no depressive-like behaviors. This strain demonstrates resilience to chronic social stress, making them valuable for studying stress resistance mechanisms.

    Area of Science:

    • Neuroscience
    • Behavioral Science
    • Animal Models

    Background:

    • Chronic social stress is a significant factor in mental health disorders.
    • Understanding stress resilience is crucial for developing effective treatments.
    • Social defeat is a relevant model for studying stress-induced behavioral changes.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To investigate the long-term behavioral effects of social defeat in male DBA/2J mice.
    • To assess the development of anxiety, depression, and other behavioral changes following chronic social stress.
    • To evaluate the potential of DBA/2J mice as a model for studying stress resilience.

    Main Methods:

    • Male DBA/2J mice were subjected to long-term social defeat by aggressive C57BL/6J and DBA/2J partners.
    • Behavioral assessments included agonistic interactions, partition test, elevated plus maze, open field test, and Porsolt test.
    • Evaluated parameters included communicativeness, anxiety, locomotor activity, depressive-like behaviors, catalepsy, exploratory behavior, and social recognition.

    Main Results:

    • DBA/2J mice did not alter their behavioral strategy during agonistic interactions after social defeat.
    • Reduced communicativeness and increased anxiety were observed in the partition and elevated plus maze tests.
    • No significant changes in locomotor activity, depressive-like behaviors, catalepsy, exploratory behavior, or social recognition were detected.

    Conclusions:

    • Male DBA/2J mice exhibit relative resistance to developing depressive-like states under chronic social stress.
    • These mice may serve as a valuable model for investigating the mechanisms underlying stress resilience.
    • Further research using DBA/2J mice can elucidate factors contributing to stability under chronic stress.

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