Seasonal Changes in Behavioral and Psycho-Emotional Responses of Inbred Wistar Rats under Normal and Stress...

Area of Science:

• Behavioral neuroscience
• Animal physiology
• Chronobiology

Background:

• Seasonal variations can influence physiological and behavioral patterns in mammals.
• Understanding these variations is crucial for standardizing laboratory animal research.
• Stress reactivity may differ across seasons in Wistar rats.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate seasonal differences in behavior and psycho-emotional status of male Wistar rats.
• To assess the impact of mild stress exposure on these parameters in winter versus spring.
• To provide data for optimizing laboratory rodent handling and experimental design.

Main Methods:

• Inbred Wistar rats were studied in winter and spring under normal and mild stress conditions.
• Behavioral responses were assessed using the elevated plus maze (EPM).
• Psycho-emotional status was evaluated through species-specific postures and reactions in the EPM.

Main Results:

• No significant behavioral or hormonal responses to acute stress were observed in spring.
• Biometric changes in adrenal glands and thymus were not detected in spring.
• Reduced stress reactivity was noted in spring, coinciding with maximum day length.

Conclusions:

• Seasonal factors, particularly day length, may modulate stress responses in Wistar rats.
• Spring conditions appear to attenuate acute stress reactivity in male rats.
• These findings necessitate consideration of seasonal effects in preclinical research and pathology modeling.