Topic: C57BL/6 mice

Aims: Evaluate the effects of ayahuasca (AYA) on cocaine (COC)-induced conditioned place preference (CPP). Methods: (A) AYA was lyophilized, and its components were quantified by LC-MS/MS. (B) Six-week-old C57Bl/6 mice were habituated to the CPP apparatus for 15 minutes. The following day, they underwent a pre-test to assess their natural compartmental preference (15 minutes). During the conditioning phase (CT; 3rd-10th day), mice remained confined in one of the CPP compartments for 30 minutes. On the 11th day, they were tested to evaluate: (B.i) Effects of AYA on CPP: on odd CT days, they wer

In our previous studies, we developed a marker-based 3D motion capture system to evaluate step kinematics during behaviors such as climbing and novel environment exploration under various pharmacological treatments. In the present study, we aimed to test whether the step kinematics of mice is affected during treadmill running at different speeds and under various treatments. We used adult male C57BL/6 mice in a within-subject, randomized design. We recorded voluntary running behavior on a treadmill in mice treated with vehicle (1:1:18 ethanol, Kolliphor, saline), CP55,940 (0.3 mg/kg) or harmal

We have developed a marker-based 3D motion capture system for high-precision quantification of mouse locomotion. In our previous studies, we observed that a low dose of a synthetic agonist of cannabinoid CB1 and CB2 receptors, CP55,940 (0.3 mg/kg), causes a small reduction in general locomotion during open-field exploration, but does not inhibit general locomotion during vertical climbing. However, we observed that it induces significant changes in step kinematics during both tasks, which were more pronounced during climbing.We used adult male C57BL/6 mice in a within-subject, randomized desig

Treatment-resistant depression is a global public health concern, leaving a significant portion of the population without effective remedies. To address this issue, innovative strategies are urgently needed. Psilocybin, a non-selective 5-HT2AR agonist, has been found to alleviate depressive mood in individuals with treatment resistant depression (Carhart-Harris et al., 2017) Ketamine exhibits robust and enduring antidepressant properties both in patients and preclinical models. (Krystal et al., 2013). Sleep patterns are often affected by depressive disorders, making wireless EEG a valuable too

Treatment-resistant depression is a global public health concern, leaving a significant portion of the population without effective remedies. To address this issue, innovative strategies are urgently needed. Psilocybin, a non-selective 5-HT2AR agonist, has been found to alleviate depressive mood in individuals with treatment resistant depression (Carhart-Harris et al., 2017) Ketamine exhibits robust and enduring antidepressant properties both in patients and preclinical models. (Krystal et al., 2013). Sleep patterns are often affected by depressive disorders, making wireless EEG a valuable

Humans and other animals require flexibility to make decisions appropriate for an ever-changing environment. The way mammalian brains achieve flexible decision making is not fully understood. The probabilistic reversal learning (PRL) task is a powerful tool used to assess behavioral flexibility and how positive and negative feedbacks influence decision making, both in healthy subjects and in patients with a wide range of neurological conditions like Autistic Spectrum Disorder and Schizophrenia, as well as animal models. We trained C57BL/6 mice on PRL and conducted high-density single unit reco

Working memory is the ability to hold and handle information for a limited time in order to use previously garnered information. It plays an important role in day-to-day life and is impaired in several neuropsychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. In mice, working memory can be assessed in both, mazes (e.g., water-maze or T-maze) and operant boxes. One of the tasks developed for touchscreen operant boxes is the trial unique non-matched to location (TUNL) task. Although much literature is available showing pharmacological reduction of working memory on this task, the nu

Social defence is an essential behaviour for social animals. It allows the existence of winners and losers in agonistic encounters, without deaths, promoting the group's stability. As for other aversive contexts, the environmental cues (e.g. the distance to the aggressor) are essential for a proper expression of defence. Understanding how the brain processes these cues, associating them with other stimuli and defining the defensive response, is a fundamental step towards a better comprehension of the neural bases of social defence. Previous work suggests that, in C57Bl/6 mice, a septo-hippocam

Strong fear memories resistant to modification are a key hallmark of trauma disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, the neural mechanisms behind the encoding of these memories, and how these may differ in terms of strength, remain poorly understood. In this study, C57BL/6 mice were divided into four treatment groups (strong fear memory, weak fear memory, unpaired strong control, unpaired weak control) and underwent an auditory fear memory reconsolidation paradigm over the course of three days. Brains were stained using immunocytochemistry (ICC) for pERK expression in

Pituitary adenylate cyclase activating polypeptide (PACAP) is a neuropeptide involved in neonatal CO2-stimulated respiration. The ventral respiratory column (VRC), which contains the core inspiratory rhythm generator, receives PACAPergic inputs from the retrotrapezoid nucleus (RTN) and expresses PAC1 receptor in neonates. However, in adults, the afferent origins of PACAPergic transmission to the VRC other than the RTN; and PACAP expression changes in response to chronic hypercapnic conditions are unknown.Using cholera toxin subunit B (CTB) mediated retrograde neuronal tracing and in situ hybri

We aimed to develop and standardize a diet and rotenone-based animal model of Parkinson's disease. To achieve this, 21 days old male C57BL/6 mice were fed on a high-fat diet [HFD] (60%kcal) for 17 weeks; starting from week 11, animals were orally gavaged daily with 10mg/kg rotenone dose till the end of the 17th week. Further, they were subjected to behavioral tests (Rota-rod, Y maze, and fecal pellet output test). Fecal pellets were collected for 16S rRNA sequencing and animals were subsequently euthanized. Our data revealed that rotenone and its combination with HFD exhibited loss of motor fu

The gut microbiota plays a crucial role in maintaining the physical and mental well-being of the host. It is influenced by diverse factors, including pesticides. Glyphosate, a globally used herbicide, is understood to be harmless to humans as it targets the shikimate pathway, which is absent in animal cells. However, this idea is now being challenged as research suggests that glyphosate may negatively affect the pathway in microorganisms residing in the gut, such as gut bacteria, which could have an impact on the host. Former research has tested either high dose exposure for toxicological effe

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia, characterized by the appearance of amyloid-beta plaques and neurofibrillary tangles leading to the loss of neurons, cognitive impairments, and death. With 55 million affected people worldwide as of 2019 and an increasing prevalence in an aging society, AD poses a serious challenge for health care systems. Lacking reliable and non-invasive methods of early diagnosis, analyzing the early disease development is of utmost importance for the development of presymptomatic diagnostic tools and treatment options. Diabetes is one of the stro