The olfactory hole-board test in rats: a new paradigm to study aversion and preferences to odors
Odors of biological relevance (e.g. predator odors, sex odors) are known to effectively influence basic survival needs of rodents such as anti-predatory defensiveness and mating behaviors. Research focused on the effects of these odors on rats’ behavior mostly includes multi-trial paradigms where an...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2015-08-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fnbeh.2015.00223/full |
| _version_ | 1811203508963115008 |
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| author | Kerstin eWernecke Kerstin eWernecke Markus eFendt Markus eFendt |
| author_facet | Kerstin eWernecke Kerstin eWernecke Markus eFendt Markus eFendt |
| author_sort | Kerstin eWernecke |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Odors of biological relevance (e.g. predator odors, sex odors) are known to effectively influence basic survival needs of rodents such as anti-predatory defensiveness and mating behaviors. Research focused on the effects of these odors on rats’ behavior mostly includes multi-trial paradigms where animals experience single odor exposures in subsequent, separated experimental sessions. In the present study, we introduce a modification of the olfactory hole-board test that allows studying the effects of different odors on rats’ behavior within single trials. First, we demonstrated that the corner holes of the hole-board were preferentially visited by rats. The placement of different odors under the corner holes changed this hole preference. We showed that holes with carnivore urine samples were avoided, while corner holes with female rat urine samples were preferred. Furthermore, corner holes with urine samples from a carnivore, herbivore and omnivore were differentially visited indicating that rats can discriminate these odors. To test whether anxiolytic treatment specifically modulate the avoidance of carnivore urine holes, we treated rats with buspirone. Buspirone treatment completely abolished the avoidance of carnivore urine holes. Taken together, our findings indicate that the olfactory hole-board test is a valuable tool for measuring avoidance and preference responses to biologically-relevant odors. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T02:56:48Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-fb50f0e193bd4598880229e4abdfaff0 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1662-5153 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T02:56:48Z |
| publishDate | 2015-08-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience |
| spelling | doaj.art-fb50f0e193bd4598880229e4abdfaff02022-12-22T03:50:47ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience1662-51532015-08-01910.3389/fnbeh.2015.00223153113The olfactory hole-board test in rats: a new paradigm to study aversion and preferences to odorsKerstin eWernecke0Kerstin eWernecke1Markus eFendt2Markus eFendt3Institute for Pharmacology and ToxicologyCenter for Behavioral Brain SciencesInstitute for Pharmacology and ToxicologyCenter for Behavioral Brain SciencesOdors of biological relevance (e.g. predator odors, sex odors) are known to effectively influence basic survival needs of rodents such as anti-predatory defensiveness and mating behaviors. Research focused on the effects of these odors on rats’ behavior mostly includes multi-trial paradigms where animals experience single odor exposures in subsequent, separated experimental sessions. In the present study, we introduce a modification of the olfactory hole-board test that allows studying the effects of different odors on rats’ behavior within single trials. First, we demonstrated that the corner holes of the hole-board were preferentially visited by rats. The placement of different odors under the corner holes changed this hole preference. We showed that holes with carnivore urine samples were avoided, while corner holes with female rat urine samples were preferred. Furthermore, corner holes with urine samples from a carnivore, herbivore and omnivore were differentially visited indicating that rats can discriminate these odors. To test whether anxiolytic treatment specifically modulate the avoidance of carnivore urine holes, we treated rats with buspirone. Buspirone treatment completely abolished the avoidance of carnivore urine holes. Taken together, our findings indicate that the olfactory hole-board test is a valuable tool for measuring avoidance and preference responses to biologically-relevant odors.http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fnbeh.2015.00223/fullBuspironeratpredatorapproachavoidanceinnate fear |
| spellingShingle | Kerstin eWernecke Kerstin eWernecke Markus eFendt Markus eFendt The olfactory hole-board test in rats: a new paradigm to study aversion and preferences to odors Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience Buspirone rat predator approach avoidance innate fear |
| title | The olfactory hole-board test in rats: a new paradigm to study aversion and preferences to odors |
| title_full | The olfactory hole-board test in rats: a new paradigm to study aversion and preferences to odors |
| title_fullStr | The olfactory hole-board test in rats: a new paradigm to study aversion and preferences to odors |
| title_full_unstemmed | The olfactory hole-board test in rats: a new paradigm to study aversion and preferences to odors |
| title_short | The olfactory hole-board test in rats: a new paradigm to study aversion and preferences to odors |
| title_sort | olfactory hole board test in rats a new paradigm to study aversion and preferences to odors |
| topic | Buspirone rat predator approach avoidance innate fear |
| url | http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fnbeh.2015.00223/full |
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