Los autores desean agradecer la financiación de UL1TR000071 (NCATS), P30DK079638 (NIDDK), P30DA028821 (NIDA) y T32DA07287 (NIDA).

Todos los procedimientos experimentales están de acuerdo con la Guía para el Cuidado y Uso de Animales de Laboratorio (Instituto de Recursos Animales de Laboratorio (EE.UU.), 1996) y con la aprobación del Comité de Cuidado de Animales institucional y Uso de la Universidad de Texas Medical Branch. 1. Los sujetos <ol><li> Soltero casa ratas macho Sprague-Dawley con un peso de 225-250 g a 21 º C y una humedad relativa del 30-50%, con un ciclo de luz-oscuridad de 12 horas (luces encendidas 6:00 am-6: 00 pm). </li><li> Mantener ratas en un alimento bajo en grasa (10% de grasa en energía). Habituar ratas a la alimentación y la colonia ambiente durante al menos 7 días antes de la experimentación. Los animales se habituaron a la manipulación y la dosificación de vehículo durante tres días antes de comenzar los estudios. El primer día después de la habituación es el Día experimental 1. </li></ol> 2. Preferencia de línea de base <ol><li> Día 1, llenar dos tolvas de alimentos limpias, uno marcado con una A y la otra con B, con 10% de grasa de alimentos para cada jaula. WEigh las tolvas de alimentos (con la comida) y colocarlos en la jaula, lo que garantiza que la rata tiene acceso a ambos. </li><li> Día 2, aproximadamente a las mismas tolvas de alimentos de tiempo fueron colocados en la jaula el día anterior, registrar el peso de la tolva de alimentación y cambiar las posiciones de A y tolva tolva B. Esto mitiga el sesgo de posición. Siempre examine la jaula de alojamiento para cualquier alimento retirado de la tolva, se pesa, y dar cuenta de ello. La ingesta de alimentos se mide por el cambio en el peso de la tolva entre los días. </li><li> Día 3, registrar los pesos de la tolva de alimentos como antes. Examinar la cantidad de comida consumida en cada posición de la tolva de alimentos y la identificación de la tolva de alimentos (A y B). Estos datos dan una comprensión básica de sesgo posición y preferencia tolva específica, y debe tener una puntuación de preferencia de aproximadamente el 50% indica que no hay preferencia. Tire a la basura los alimentos que quedan. </li></ol> 3. Preferencia Fat <ol><li> Día 3, obtenga dos tolvas de alimentos limpios para cada jaula. Es importante la utilización de tolvas de alimentos limpioscuando se cambia entre las diferentes comidas para evitar los olores de confusión de los experimentos anteriores. Llene la tolva con un 12,5% de alimentos de grasa y la tolva B con 15% de los alimentos en grasa (Tabla 1). Registrar los pesos de partida de cada tolva y colocar tanto en la jaula. </li><li> Día 4, registrar los pesos de cada tolva, cambiando la posición de la tolva A y B de la tolva al colocar de nuevo en la jaula. </li><li> Día 5, registrar los pesos de cada tolva. Después de determinar los gramos de cada alimento consumido en los dos días, la preferencia de alimentos de la rata puede ser determinada. </li><li> Repita los pasos 3.1 a 3.3 en múltiples ocasiones con los mismos animales que utilizan la comida grasa 12,5% en comparación con los alimentos con el aumento del contenido de grasa (por ejemplo, primero el 15%, al lado 17.5%, luego 20% y, por último, 45% de grasa). </li></ol> 4. Cálculos y análisis de datos <ol><li> Calcular la ingesta diaria de alimentos para cada animal restando la masa final de la tolva de alimentación + de la masa inicial de la comida+ Tolva. Debido a que cada comida se mide más de 2 días, el total de 2 días se pueden sumar para cada contenido de grasa%. </li><li> Calcular la puntuación de preferencia la grasa dividiendo el consumo de la mayor de alimentos de grasa del total de alimentos consumidos durante cada período de dos días. Por ejemplo, una rata comió 8,9 g de la dieta de grasa 12,5% y 27,5 g de la dieta 17,5% durante 2 días. Por tanto, la puntuación de preferencia para ese animal individual es del 76% (27,5 dividido por 36,4). </li><li> Promedio y el gráfico de la puntuación de preferencia para cada dieta (15%, 17,5%, 20% y 45% de grasa) (Figura 3). La ingesta total de alimentos también es informativo y fácilmente se puede trazar en gramos (Figura 4). </li><li> Expresar la puntuación de preferencia (Figura 5A) y la ingesta total de alimentos (Figura 5B) como una función de la ingesta de energía total (kilocalorías) usando la densidad de energía en la Tabla 1. </li><li> Si se utiliza más de un grupo de animales, lleve a cabo una repetición de dos víased mide ANOVA seguido de un post-test de Bonferroni. El análisis del poder indica que n = 8 animales por grupo es apropiado para detectar una diferencia de 7% entre los grupos de tratamiento. </li></ol>

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Los autores no tienen nada que revelar.

El modelo de Preferencia La grasa es un ensayo informativo y fácil de realizar la conducta alimentaria. Este ensayo ofrece una oportunidad para identificar mecanismos neurales y moleculares que subyacen a la preferencia de alimentos, que es una importante zona aún poco de investigación sobre la obesidad. Los cambios en la preferencia grasa de diferencias genéticas o manipulaciones farmacológicas pueden ser visualizados como desplazamientos a la derecha o hacia la izquierda en la curva de preferencia (Figura...

La obesidad es un problema frecuente en los Estados Unidos 1, con los Centros para el Control y la Prevención de Enfermedades estiman que más de un tercio de los adultos estadounidenses son obesos. La obesidad también se ha identificado como un factor de riesgo para numerosas preocupaciones de salud, incluyendo diabetes tipo 2, presión arterial alta y colesterol alto 2. Aunque se han mostrado muchos factores para influir en el aumento de las tasas de obesidad, existe un interés continuo y controversia en el papel macronutrientes desempeñan en 3,4 obesidad. Un factor que contribuye a la obesidad es alta ingesta de grasas en la dieta 5. Aumento de la grasa de la dieta se correlaciona con un mayor consumo de energía humano 6 y aumentos significativos en el contenido de grasa corporal 7,8. Además, la grasa de la dieta tiene valor de la recompensa, tanto durante como después de 7,9 consumo. Por lo tanto, determinar qué factores influyen preferencia por alimentos con alto contenido de grasa puede producir tanto desi guía farmacoterapéuticagn y promover la comprensión de los hábitos dietéticos subyacentes que pueden conducir a la obesidad. El modelo Preferencia Fat aquí descrito pruebas de preferencia de las ratas entre los alimentos de diferente contenido de grasa, pero el valor nutricional similar. En concreto, este modelo presenta las ratas con una opción de dos alimentos diferentes a la vez, permitiendo así la cuantificación de preferencia basada en gramos consumidos de los alimentos con menos grasa versos la comida con más grasa. Los efectos farmacológicos y genéticos se pueden medir como un cambio en la preferencia por la comida con alto contenido de grasa. El modelo Preferencia grasa sirve para complementar los modelos de consumo de alimentos apetecibles ampliamente utilizados 10, pero también ofrece varias ventajas. Este modelo permite que el experimentador para evaluar específicamente el comportamiento de alimentación en un ambiente controlado en el que dos opciones de comida están disponibles. Los modelos tradicionales de alimentación rica en grasas sólo ofrecen un alimento que elimina la capacidad para estudiar la elección de alimentos, una importantepecto de la ingesta de alimentos para humanos. Algunos ensayos ofrecen varios tipos de alimentos y se refieren a menudo como &quot;cafetería&quot; estudios de tipo de alimentación 11. Estos estudios sufren de reproducibilidad debido a la alimentación humana se utiliza a menudo en el ensayo y no es muy adecuado para el entorno del laboratorio debido a la variabilidad de nutrientes. Utilizamos dietas definidas que contienen ingredientes así purificadas individuales que mejora la reproducibilidad y la flexibilidad de cambiar el contenido de macronutrientes tales como grasa de la dieta. Con una mayor ingesta de grasas en la dieta asociada a la obesidad en los seres humanos 5 y la preferencia humana natural para alimentos con mayor contenido de grasa 12, los tratamientos que alteran la preferencia de la rata para los alimentos altos en grasa pueden proporcionar información valiosa sobre la obesidad.

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			<td height="22" style="height:22px;width:277px;">&#160;Rodent diet with 10 kcal% fat&#160;</td>
			<td style="width:111px;">Research Diets</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">D12450B</td>
			<td style="width:167px;">10 % fat rat food</td>
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			<td height="22" style="height:22px;width:277px;">&#160;Rodent diet with 12.5 kcal% fat&#160;</td>
			<td style="width:111px;">Research Diets</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">D07040501</td>
			<td>12.5 % fat rat food</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="22">
			<td height="22" style="height:22px;width:277px;">&#160;Rodent diet with 15 kcal% fat&#160;</td>
			<td style="width:111px;">Research Diets</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">D07040502</td>
			<td>15 % fat rat food</td>
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		<tr height="22">
			<td height="22" style="height:22px;width:277px;">&#160;Rodent diet with 17.5 kcal% fat&#160;</td>
			<td style="width:111px;">Research Diets</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">D07040503</td>
			<td>17.5 % fat rat food</td>
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		<tr height="22">
			<td height="22" style="height:22px;width:277px;">&#160;Rodent diet with 20 kcal% fat&#160;</td>
			<td style="width:111px;">Research Diets</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">D07040504</td>
			<td>20 % fat rat food</td>
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			<td height="22" style="height:22px;width:277px;">&#160;Rodent diet with 45 kcal% fat&#160;</td>
			<td style="width:111px;">Research Diets</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">D12451</td>
			<td>45 % fat rat food</td>
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			<td height="22" style="height:22px;width:277px;">Rat feeders (3.75&#34;W x 2.875&#34;D x 5.25&#34;H)</td>
			<td style="width:111px;">Labex of MA</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">2528</td>
			<td>Food hoppers</td>
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fat preference: a novel model of eating behavior in rats

La obesidad es un problema creciente en los Estados Unidos de América, con más de un tercio de la población clasificados como obesos. Un factor que contribuye a este trastorno multifactorial es el consumo de una dieta alta en grasas, un comportamiento que se ha demostrado que aumenta tanto la ingesta de calorías y el contenido de grasa corporal. Sin embargo, los elementos que regulan la preferencia por la comida rica en grasas sobre otros alimentos permanecen poco estudiados. Para superar este déficit, un modelo para probar rápidamente y fácilmente los cambios en la preferencia por la grasa de la dieta fue desarrollado. El modelo Preferencia Fat presenta ratas con una serie de opciones entre los alimentos con diferente contenido de grasa. Como los humanos, las ratas tienen un sesgo natural hacia el consumo de alimentos con alto contenido de grasa, por lo que el modelo de rata ideal para los estudios de traducción. Los cambios en las preferencias se pueden atribuir al efecto de cualquiera de las diferencias genéticas o intervenciones farmacológicas. Este modelo permite la exploración de los determinantes de la preferencia por la grasa y scremiento agentes farmacoterapéuticos que la adquisición de influencia de la obesidad.

Las ratas tuvieron acceso físico a las dos tolvas de alimentos al mismo tiempo (Figura 1) con el fin de demostrar su preferencia por la elección de alimentos disponibles con diferente contenido en grasa (Tabla 1). Comida de rata se pesó diariamente y cualquier derrame de alimentos se encuentra fácilmente y representó (Figura 2). El derrame de finas partículas de alimentos se encontró que era mínimo y no influye sustancialmente los datos. Usando el modelo de Pref...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Fat Preference: A Novel Model of Eating Behavior in Rats at JoVE.com

Fat Preference: A Novel Model of Eating Behavior in Rats

Influencias contenido de grasa en la dieta, tanto la ingesta de energía y la composición de la grasa corporal en los mamíferos. Mediante el examen de la preferencia de las ratas por la comida rica en grasas en una serie de experimentos de elección, es posible poner a prueba las diferencias genéticas y las intervenciones farmacológicas en su preferencia por la comida rica en grasas.

Preferencia grasa: Un Modelo de Novela de la conducta alimentaria en ratas

Obesity is a growing problem in the United States of America, with more than a third of the population classified as obese. One factor contributing to ...

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13.0K vistas.  University of Texas Medical Branch.  Influencias contenido de grasa en la dieta, tanto la ingesta de energía y la composición de la grasa corporal en los mamíferos. Mediante el examen de la preferencia de las ratas por la comida rica en grasas en una serie de experimentos de elección, es posible poner a prueba las diferencias genéticas y las intervenciones farmacológicas en su preferencia por la comida rica en grasas. 

Video: Fat Preference: A Novel Model of Eating Behavior in Rats

Stereotaxic Microinjection of Viral Vectors Expressing Cre Recombinase to Study the Role of Target Genes in Cocaine Conditioned Place Preference

Microinjecting recombinant adenoassociated viral (rAAV) vectors expressing Cre recombinase into distinct mouse brain regions to selectively knockout genes of interest allows for enhanced temporally- and regionally-specific control of gene deletion, compared to existing methods. While conditional deletion can also be achieved by mating mice that express Cre recombinase under the control of specific gene promoters with mice carrying a floxed gene, stereotaxic microinjection allows for targeting of discrete brain areas at experimenter-determined time points of interest. In the context of cocaine conditioned place preference, and other cocaine behavioral paradigms such as self-administration or psychomotor sensitization that can involve withdrawal, extinction and/or reinstatement phases, this technique is particularly useful in exploring the unique contribution of target genes to these distinct phases of behavioral models of cocaine-induced plasticity. Specifically, this technique allows for selective ablation of target genes during discrete phases of a behavior to test their contribution to the behavior across time. Ultimately, this understanding allows for more targeted therapeutics that are best able to address the most potent risk factors that present themselves during each phase of addictive behavior.

This article describes how to microinject viral vectors into mouse brain and then test in a conditioned place preference paradigm that includes an acquisition, extinction and reinstatement phase.

La microinyección estereotáxica de vectores virales que expresan Cre recombinasa para estudiar el papel de los genes diana de cocaína acondicionado Place Preferencia

Microinjecting recombinant adenoassociated viral (rAAV) vectors expressing Cre recombinase into distinct mouse brain regions to selectively knockout genes ...

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Comportamiento

Inchworming: A Novel Motor Stereotypy in the BTBR T+ Itpr3tf/J Mouse Model of Autism

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a behaviorally defined neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by decreased reciprocal social interaction, abnormal communication, and repetitive behaviors with restricted interest. As diagnosis is based on clinical criteria, any potentially relevant rodent models of this heterogeneous disorder should ideally recapitulate these diverse behavioral traits. The BTBR T+ Itpr3tf/J (BTBR) mouse is an established animal model of ASD, displaying repetitive behaviors such as increased grooming, as well as cognitive inflexibility. With respect to social interaction and interest, the juvenile play test has been employed in multiple rodent models of ASD. Here, we show that when BTBR mice are tested in a juvenile social interaction enclosure containing sawdust bedding, they display a repetitive synchronous digging motion. This repetitive motor behavior, referred to as &#34;inchworming,&#34; was named because of the stereotypic nature of the movements exhibited by the mice while moving horizontally across the floor. Inchworming mice must use their fore- and hind-limbs in synchrony to displace the bedding, performing a minimum of one inward and one outward motion. Although both BTBR and C56BL/6J (B6) mice exhibit this behavior, BTBR mice demonstrate a significantly higher duration and frequency of inchworming and a decreased latency to initiate inchworming when placed in a bedded enclosure. We conclude that this newly described behavior provides a measure of a repetitive motor stereotypy that can be easily measured in animal models of ASD.

Inchworming: A Novel Motor Stereotypy in the BTBR T+ Itpr3tf/J Mouse Model of Autism

Inchworming is a highly repetitive synchronous digging motion displayed by BTBR T+ Itpr3tf/J (BTBR) mice when placed in a testing cage with sufficient sawdust bedding. The procedure is a modification of the juvenile social interaction protocol and is used here to assess repetitive motor stereotypies relevant to Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Inchworming: A Novel Motor estereotipias en el BTBR<em&gt; T<sup&gt; +</sup&gt; Itpr3<sup&gt; Tf</sup</em&gt; / J Modelo de ratón de autismo

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a behaviorally defined neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by decreased reciprocal social interaction, abnormal ...

A Novel Procedure for Evaluating the Reinforcing Properties of Tastants in Laboratory Rats: Operant Intraoral Self-administration

This paper describes a novel method for studying the bio-behavioral basis of addiction to food. This method combines the surgical component of taste reactivity with the behavioral aspects of operant self-administration of drugs. Under very brief general anaesthesia, rats are implanted with an intraoral (IO) cannula that allows delivery of test solutions directly in the oral cavity. Animals are then tested in operant self-administration chambers whereby they can press a lever to receive IO infusions of test solutions. IO self-administration has several advantages over experimental procedures that involve drinking a solution from a spout&#160;or operant responding for solid pellets or solutions delivered in a receptacle. Here, we show that IO self-administration can be employed to study self-administration of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). Rats were first tested for self-administration on a progressive ratio (PR) schedule, which assesses the maximum amount of operant behavior that will be emitted for different concentrations of HFCS (i.e.&#160;8%, 25%, and 50%). Following this test, rats self-administered these concentrations on a continuous schedule of reinforcement (i.e.&#160;one infusion for each lever press) for 10 consecutive days (1 session/day; each lasting 3 hr), and then they were retested on the PR schedule. On the continuous reinforcement schedule, rats took fewer infusions of higher concentrations, although the lowest concentration of HFCS (8%) maintained more variable self-administration. Furthermore, the PR tests revealed that 8% had lower reinforcing value than 25% and 50%. These results indicate that IO self-administration can be employed to study acquisition and maintenance of responding for sweet solutions. The sensitivity of the operant response to differences in concentration and schedule of reinforcement makes IO self-administration an ideal procedure to investigate the neurobiology of voluntary intake of sweets.

The current study evaluates a novel procedure for assessing the reinforcing effects of palatable solutions in laboratory rats: intraoral self-administration. To this end, operant responding (i.e.&#160;lever pressing) for intraoral infusions of sweet solutions at different concentrations was measured on continuous and progressive ratios schedules of reinforcement.

Un nuevo procedimiento para la evaluación de las propiedades reforzantes de estimulantes del gusto en las ratas de laboratorio: operante intraoral autoadministración

This paper describes a novel method for studying the bio-behavioral basis of addiction to food. This method combines the surgical component of taste ...

A Procedure to Observe Context-induced Renewal of Pavlovian-conditioned Alcohol-seeking Behavior in Rats

Environmental contexts in which drugs of abuse are consumed can trigger craving, a subjective Pavlovian-conditioned response that can facilitate drug-seeking behavior and prompt relapse in abstinent drug users. We have developed a procedure to study the behavioral and neural processes that mediate the impact of context on alcohol-seeking behavior in rats. Following acclimation to the taste and pharmacological effects of 15% ethanol in the home cage, male Long-Evans rats receive Pavlovian discrimination training (PDT) in conditioning chambers. In each daily (Mon-Fri) PDT session, 16 trials each of two different 10 sec auditory conditioned stimuli occur. During one stimulus, the CS+, 0.2 ml of 15% ethanol is delivered into a fluid port for oral consumption. The second stimulus, the CS-, is not paired with ethanol. Across sessions, entries into the fluid port during the CS+ increase, whereas entries during the CS- stabilize at a lower level, indicating that a predictive association between the CS+ and ethanol is acquired. During PDT each chamber is equipped with a specific configuration of visual, olfactory and tactile contextual stimuli. Following PDT, extinction training is conducted in the same chamber that is now equipped with a different configuration of contextual stimuli. The CS+ and CS- are presented as before, but ethanol is withheld, which causes a gradual decline in port entries during the CS+. At test, rats are placed back into the PDT context and presented with the CS+ and CS- as before, but without ethanol. This manipulation triggers a robust and selective increase in the number of port entries made during the alcohol predictive CS+, with no change in responding during the CS-. This effect, referred to as context-induced renewal, illustrates the powerful capacity of contexts associated with alcohol consumption to stimulate alcohol-seeking behavior in response to Pavlovian alcohol cues.

A procedure to study the capacity of an alcohol associated environmental context to trigger the renewal of alcohol-seeking behavior in rats is described.

Un procedimiento para observar inducida Contexto-Renovación-pavloviano acondicionado Alcohol comportamiento de búsqueda en ratas

Environmental contexts in which drugs of abuse are consumed can trigger craving, a subjective Pavlovian-conditioned response that can facilitate ...

The Modified Hole Board - Measuring Behavior, Cognition and Social Interaction in Mice and Rats

This protocol describes the modified hole board (mHB), which combines features from a traditional hole board and open field and is designed to measure multiple dimensions of unconditioned behavior in small laboratory mammals (e.g., mice, rats, tree shrews and small primates). This paradigm is a valuable alternative for the use of a behavioral test battery, since a broad behavioral spectrum of an animal&#8217;s behavioral profile can be investigated in one single test.
The apparatus consists of a box, representing the &#8216;protected&#8217; area, separated from a group compartment. A board, on which small cylinders are staggered in three lines, is placed in the center of the box, representing the &#8216;unprotected&#8217; area of the set-up. The cognitive abilities of the animals can be measured by baiting some cylinders on the board and measuring the working and reference memory. Other unconditioned behavior, such as activity-related-, anxiety-related- and social behavior, can be observed using this paradigm. Behavioral flexibility and the ability to habituate to a novel environment can additionally be observed by subjecting the animals to multiple trials in the mHB, revealing insight into the animals&#8217; adaptive capacities.
Due to testing order effects in a behavioral test battery, na&#239;ve animals should be used for each individual experiment. By testing multiple behavioral dimensions in a single paradigm and thereby circumventing this issue, the number of experimental animals used is reduced. Furthermore, by avoiding social isolation during testing and without the need to food deprive the animals, the mHB represents a behavioral test system, inducing if any, very low amount of stress.

This protocol describes the modified hole board, which is a behavioral test set-up that comprises the characteristics of an open field and a traditional hole board. This set-up enables the differential analysis of unconditioned behavior of small laboratory mammals as well as the analysis of cognitive abilities.

La Junta Agujero Modificado - Medición de Comportamiento, Cognición e interacción social en ratones y ratas

This protocol describes the modified hole board (mHB), which combines features from a traditional hole board and open field and is designed to measure ...

The Rodent Psychomotor Vigilance Test (rPVT): A Method for Assessing Neurobehavioral Performance in Rats and Mice

The human Psychomotor Vigilance Test (PVT) is a widely used procedure for measuring changes in fatigue and sustained attention. The present article describes a rodent version of the PVT&#8212;termed the &#34;rPVT&#34;&#8212;that measures similar aspects of attention (i.e., performance accuracy, motor speed, premature responding, and lapses in attention). Data are presented that demonstrate both the short- and long-term usefulness of the rPVT when employed with laboratory rats. Rats easily learn the rPVT, and learning to perform the basic procedure takes less than two weeks of training. Once acquired, rat performances in the rPVT show a high degree of similarity to these same performance measures in the human PVT, including similarities in, lapses in attention, reaction times, vigilance decrements across session time (i.e., the human &#34;time-on-task&#34; effects), and the response-stimulus interval (RSI) effect described for humans. Thus the rPVT can be an extremely valuable tool for assessing the effects of a wide range of variables on sustained attention quite similar to human PVT performances, and thus can be useful for developing novel treatments for neurobehavioral dysfunctions.

The Rodent Psychomotor Vigilance Test rPVT: A Method for Assessing Neurobehavioral Performance in Rats and Mice

A rat version of the human Psychomotor Vigilance Test (PVT) is described that measures aspects of attention similar to those measured with the human PVT, including aspects of human vigilance such as performance accuracy, motor speed, premature responding, and lapses in attention.

La prueba de roedores psicomotor Vigilancia (rPVT): Un método para evaluar el rendimiento neuroconductual en ratas y ratones

The human Psychomotor Vigilance Test (PVT) is a widely used procedure for measuring changes in fatigue and sustained attention. The present article ...

Automated Analysis of a Nematode Population-based Chemosensory Preference Assay

The nematode, Caenorhabditis elegans' compact nervous system of only 302 neurons underlies a diverse repertoire of behaviors. To facilitate the dissection of the neural circuits underlying these behaviors, the development of robust and reproducible behavioral assays is necessary. Previous C. elegans behavioral studies have used variations of a "drop test", a "chemotaxis assay", and a "retention assay" to investigate the response of C. elegans to soluble compounds. The method described in this article seeks to combine the complementary strengths of the three aforementioned assays. Briefly, a small circle in the middle of each assay plate is divided into four quadrants with the control and experimental solutions alternately placed. After the addition of the worms, the assay plates are loaded into a behavior chamber where microscope cameras record the worms' encounters with the treated regions. Automated video analysis is then performed and a preference index (PI) value for each video is generated. The video acquisition and automated analysis features of this method minimizes the experimenter's involvement and any associated errors. Furthermore, minute amounts of the experimental compound are used per assay and the behavior chamber's multi-camera setup increases experimental throughput. This method is particularly useful for conducting behavioral screens of genetic mutants and novel chemical compounds. However, this method is not appropriate for studying stimulus gradient navigation due to the close proximity of the control and experimental solution regions. It should also not be used when only a small population of worms is available. While suitable for assaying responses only to soluble compounds in its current form, this method can be easily modified to accommodate multimodal sensory interaction and optogenetic studies. This method can also be adapted to assay the chemosensory responses of other nematode species.

We present a behavior recording setup and protocol that enables automated analysis of the nematode, Caenorhabditis elegans' preference for soluble compounds in a population-based assay. This article describes the construction of a behavior chamber, the behavioral assay protocol, and video analysis software usage.

Análisis Automatizado de un Ensayo de Preferencia Chemosensorial Basada en Población de Nematodo

The nematode, Caenorhabditis elegans' compact nervous system of only 302 neurons underlies a diverse repertoire of behaviors. To facilitate the dissection ...

Reinstatement of Drug-seeking in Mice Using the Conditioned Place Preference Paradigm

The present protocol describes the Conditioned Place Preference (CPP) as a model of relapse in drug addiction. In this model, animals are first trained to acquire a conditioned place preference in a drug-paired compartment, and after the post-conditioning test, they perform several sessions to extinguish the established preference. The CPP permits the evaluation of the conditioned rewarding effects of drugs related to environmental cues. Then, the extinguished CPP can be robustly reinstated by the non-contingent administration of a priming dose of the drug, and by exposure to stressful stimuli. Both methods will be explained here. When the animal reinitiates the behavioral response, a reinstatement of the conditioned reward is considered to have taken place.
The main advantages of this protocol are that it is non-invasive, inexpensive, and simple with good validity criteria. In addition, it allows the study of different environmental manipulations, such as stress or diet, which can modulate relapse into drug seeking behaviors. However, one limitation is that if the researcher aims to explore the motivation and primary reinforcing effects of the drug, it should be complemented with self-administration procedures, as they involve operant responses of animals.

This protocol describes the Conditioned Place Preference (CPP) as a model of relapse. This procedure permits the measurement of relapse in laboratory animals, considering the impact of drug-associated environmental cues as craving and relapse in abstaining addicts is currently the focus of drug-abuse treatment programs.

Reintegro de la búsqueda de drogas en ratones utilizando el paradigma de preferencia condicionada del lugar

The present protocol describes the Conditioned Place Preference (CPP) as a model of relapse in drug addiction. In this model, animals are first trained to ...

A New Method for Inducing a Depression-Like Behavior in Rats

Contagious depression is a phenomenon that is yet to be fully recognized and this stems from insufficient material on the subject. At the moment, there is no existing format for studying the mechanism of action, prevention, containment, and treatment of contagious depression. The purpose of this study, therefore, was to establish the first animal model of contagious depression.
Healthy rats can contract depressive behaviors if exposed to depressed rats. Depression is induced in rats by subjecting them to several manipulations of chronic unpredictable stress (CUS) over 5 weeks, as described in the protocol. A successful sucrose preference test confirmed the development of depression in the rats. The CUS-exposed rats were then caged with na&#239;ve rats from the contagion group (1 na&#239;ve rat/2 depressed rats in a cage) for an additional 5 weeks. 30 social groups were created from the combination of CUS-exposed rats and na&#239;ve rats.
This proposed depression-contagion protocol in animals consists mainly of cohabiting CUS-exposed and healthy rats for 5 weeks. To ensure that this method works, a series of tests are carried out - first, the sucrose preference test upon inducing depression to rats, then, the sucrose preference test, alongside the open field and forced-swim tests at the end of the cohabitation period. Throughout the experiment, rats are given tags and are always returned to their cages after each test.
A few limitations to this method are the weak differences recorded between the experimental and control groups in the sucrose preference test and the irreversible traumatic outcome of the forced swim test. These may be worth considering for suitability before any future application of the protocol. Nonetheless, following the experiment, na&#239;ve rats developed contagion depression after 5 weeks of sharing the same cage with the CUS-exposed rats.

This protocol describes a new model by which healthy rats could contract depression over a given time periodthrough contagion by exposure to chronic unpredictable stressed (CUS) rats.

Un nuevo método para la inducción de un depresión-como comportamiento en ratas

Contagious depression is a phenomenon that is yet to be fully recognized and this stems from insufficient material on the subject. At the moment, there is ...

Control of Eating Behavior Using a Novel Feedback System

Subjects eat food from a plate that sits on a scale connected to a computer that records the weight loss of the plate during the meal and makes up a curve of food intake, meal duration and rate of eating modeled by a quadratic equation. The purpose of the method is to change eating behavior by providing visual feedback on the computer screen that the subject can adapt to because her/his own rate of eating appears on the screen during the meal. The data generated by the method is automatically analyzed and fitted to the quadratic equation using a custom made algorithm. The method has the advantage of recording eating behavior objectively and offers the possibility of changing eating behavior both in experiments and in clinical practice. A limitation may be that experimental subjects are affected by the method. The same limitation may be an advantage in clinical practice, as eating behavior is more easily stabilized by the method. A treatment that uses this method has normalized body weight and restored the health of several hundred patients with anorexia nervosa and other eating disorders and has reduced the weight and improved the health of severely overweight patients.

Subjects eat food from a plate placed on a scale connected to a computer that records the weight loss of the plate during the meal. Feedback on the computer screen allows the subject to adapt her/his eating behavior to reference curves thus normalizing body weight.

Control de comportamiento mediante un novedoso sistema de comer

Subjects eat food from a plate that sits on a scale connected to a computer that records the weight loss of the plate during the meal and makes up a curve ...