Social defeat stress induces an anxiety-like outcome in male prairie voles (<i>Microtus ochrogaster</i>).

ABSTRACT: Anxiety-related illnesses constitute one of the leading causes of disability across the globe. Consequently, the need for validated preclinical models to uncover the etiology of anxiety phenotypes remains essential. Given the link between social stress experience and the manifestation of anxiogenic-like outcomes, we evaluated whether social defeat stress (SDS) reduces open-space exploratory behavior in prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster). Thus, we exposed adult sexually-naïve male voles to 10 consecutive days of SDS episodes and evaluated responses to the anxiogenic environment of the light/dark box test or the elevated plus-maze, 24 hours later. We found that, when compared to non-stressed controls, SDS-exposed voles displayed longer latency to enter the light compartment of the l

SUBMITTER: Rodriguez M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11629977 | biostudies-literature | 2024

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature