Pharmacological Investigation of Serial Anxiety Tests in the Mouse: A Pilot Study

The use of test batteries has been suggested as a means to enhance throughput, to broaden the spectrum of anxiety parameters detectable and to minimise the numbers of experimental animals required in behavioural studies. This study was undertaken to determine the sensitivity of test batteries each of open field, zero mazes and staircase tests to anxiety behaviours in randomised mouse groups. Mice (n = 8) were exposed to these apparatuses serially in that order, thirty minutes following intraperitoneal administration of distilled water, 0.5 and 1.0 mg/kg diazepam. Each mouse was allowed to spend 5 minutes to freely explore each test apparatus. The results showed diazepam-treated mice exhibited significantly (p<0.05) reduced anxiety behaviours compared to the placebo group on most rodent anxiety parameters evaluated. The findings of this study suggest these behavioural test apparatuses, when used in serial combination, are sensitive and reliable to measure murine anxiety-related behaviours and the anxiolytic effects of standard/putative agents.