Effects of stress or infection on rat behavior show robust reversals due to environmental disturbance [version 2; referees: 2 approved]
Background: The behavior of animals is intricately linked to the environment; a relationship that is often studied in laboratory conditions by using environmental perturbations to study biological mechanisms underlying the behavioral change. Methods: This study pertains to two such well-studied and...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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F1000 Research Ltd
2018-01-01
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| Series: | F1000Research |
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| Online Access: | https://f1000research.com/articles/6-2097/v2 |
| _version_ | 1818276696615288832 |
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| author | Samira Abdulai-Saiku Akshaya Hegde Ajai Vyas Rupshi Mitra |
| author_facet | Samira Abdulai-Saiku Akshaya Hegde Ajai Vyas Rupshi Mitra |
| author_sort | Samira Abdulai-Saiku |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: The behavior of animals is intricately linked to the environment; a relationship that is often studied in laboratory conditions by using environmental perturbations to study biological mechanisms underlying the behavioral change. Methods: This study pertains to two such well-studied and well-replicated perturbations, i.e., stress-induced anxiogenesis and Toxoplasma gondii -induced loss of innate fear. Here, we demonstrate that behavioral outcomes of these experimental manipulations are contingent upon the ambient quality of the wider environment where animal facilities are situated. Results: During late 2014 and early 2015, a building construction project started adjacent to our animal facility. During this phase, we observed that maternal separation stress caused anxiolysis, rather than historically observed anxiogenesis, in laboratory rats. We also found that Toxoplasma gondii infection caused an increase, rather than historically observed decrease, in innate aversion to predator odors in rats. Conclusion: These observations suggest that effects of stress and Toxoplasma gondii are dependent on variables in the environment that often go unreported in the published literature. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-12T22:49:45Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-161a26c1e71141e9bef3aec92262ec2d |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2046-1402 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-12T22:49:45Z |
| publishDate | 2018-01-01 |
| publisher | F1000 Research Ltd |
| record_format | Article |
| series | F1000Research |
| spelling | doaj.art-161a26c1e71141e9bef3aec92262ec2d2022-12-22T00:09:06ZengF1000 Research LtdF1000Research2046-14022018-01-01610.12688/f1000research.13171.214793Effects of stress or infection on rat behavior show robust reversals due to environmental disturbance [version 2; referees: 2 approved]Samira Abdulai-Saiku0Akshaya Hegde1Ajai Vyas2Rupshi Mitra3School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, 637551, SingaporeSchool of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, 637551, SingaporeSchool of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, 637551, SingaporeSchool of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, 637551, SingaporeBackground: The behavior of animals is intricately linked to the environment; a relationship that is often studied in laboratory conditions by using environmental perturbations to study biological mechanisms underlying the behavioral change. Methods: This study pertains to two such well-studied and well-replicated perturbations, i.e., stress-induced anxiogenesis and Toxoplasma gondii -induced loss of innate fear. Here, we demonstrate that behavioral outcomes of these experimental manipulations are contingent upon the ambient quality of the wider environment where animal facilities are situated. Results: During late 2014 and early 2015, a building construction project started adjacent to our animal facility. During this phase, we observed that maternal separation stress caused anxiolysis, rather than historically observed anxiogenesis, in laboratory rats. We also found that Toxoplasma gondii infection caused an increase, rather than historically observed decrease, in innate aversion to predator odors in rats. Conclusion: These observations suggest that effects of stress and Toxoplasma gondii are dependent on variables in the environment that often go unreported in the published literature.https://f1000research.com/articles/6-2097/v2Behavioral EcologyMethods for Diagnostic & Therapeutic Studies |
| spellingShingle | Samira Abdulai-Saiku Akshaya Hegde Ajai Vyas Rupshi Mitra Effects of stress or infection on rat behavior show robust reversals due to environmental disturbance [version 2; referees: 2 approved] F1000Research Behavioral Ecology Methods for Diagnostic & Therapeutic Studies |
| title | Effects of stress or infection on rat behavior show robust reversals due to environmental disturbance [version 2; referees: 2 approved] |
| title_full | Effects of stress or infection on rat behavior show robust reversals due to environmental disturbance [version 2; referees: 2 approved] |
| title_fullStr | Effects of stress or infection on rat behavior show robust reversals due to environmental disturbance [version 2; referees: 2 approved] |
| title_full_unstemmed | Effects of stress or infection on rat behavior show robust reversals due to environmental disturbance [version 2; referees: 2 approved] |
| title_short | Effects of stress or infection on rat behavior show robust reversals due to environmental disturbance [version 2; referees: 2 approved] |
| title_sort | effects of stress or infection on rat behavior show robust reversals due to environmental disturbance version 2 referees 2 approved |
| topic | Behavioral Ecology Methods for Diagnostic & Therapeutic Studies |
| url | https://f1000research.com/articles/6-2097/v2 |
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