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Gender-Specific Behavior Reductions in Spontaneous Locomotive and Rearing in a Rat Model of Paclitaxel-Induced
Serena Jiyeon Kim1, Kevin Cao2, Patrick M Dougherty1
1Department of Pain Medicine, Division of Anesthesiology, Critical Care & Pain Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
Journal of Pain Research
|May 25, 2026
Summary
Paclitaxel treatment in rats caused significant reductions in movement and rearing, mimicking chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) symptoms. This study highlights open field testing as a valuable tool for assessing CIPN in preclinical models.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Pharmacology
- Animal Behavior
Background:
- Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is a debilitating side effect of treatments like paclitaxel, leading to sensory loss and functional impairment.
- Current treatment options for CIPN are limited, necessitating better preclinical models to understand and address the condition.
- Assessing CIPN beyond pain responses requires comprehensive behavioral analysis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the utility of open field (OF) video tracking in rodents for modeling patient-relevant outcomes of paclitaxel-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN).
- To comprehensively assess gait, anxiety, and exploratory behaviors in rats following paclitaxel administration.
- To establish OF activity as a method for tracking pain and treatment efficacy in preclinical CIPN models.
Main Methods:
- Adult male and female Sprague Dawley rats received paclitaxel (cumulative dose of 24 mg/kg) or vehicle over 8 days.
- Locomotor activity, center/outer zone exploration, and rearing were recorded using an OF system before and after treatment.
- Behavioral data were analyzed using two-way repeated measures ANOVA, with sex-specific effects examined via three-way ANOVA.
Main Results:
- Paclitaxel treatment significantly reduced locomotor activity and rearing behavior in rats, indicating functional impairments relevant to human CIPN.
- Sex-specific effects were observed: males showed significant decreases in both distance traveled and rearing, while females showed reduced locomotion but not rearing.
- No consistent changes in anxiety-like behavior were detected, suggesting a selective impact on motor and exploratory functions.
Conclusions:
- Paclitaxel-treated rats demonstrated significant reductions in spontaneous behaviors like distance traveled and rearing.
- These ethologically relevant behavioral measures correlate with clinical CIPN symptoms in humans.
- OF activity tracking is a valuable method for monitoring CIPN progression and evaluating treatment efficacy in preclinical settings.
Keywords:
behavioral trackingchemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathylocomotor activityopen field testpaclitaxelrearing behaviorspontaneous pain behavior