New animal model of depression using water maze learning situation in mice

我们通过改变Morris水迷宫学习情境，建立了一种新的抑郁症动物模型。人们普遍认为，把老鼠放在充满不透明水的池子里，它们会学会逃到隐藏在水面以下的平台上。然而，如果增加任务的难度，一些老鼠逐渐停止游泳，变得不能动；这种反应表明你处于抑郁状态。在本研究中，通过展示“非无助”小鼠（被称为“赢家”）和“无助”小鼠（被称为“输家”）之间的表型差异，验证了我们的实验方法作为抑郁模型的有效性。与非无助小鼠相比，无助小鼠在自己的笼子里表现出较低的自发运动活动。此外，无助小鼠海马神经发生受损，血清中IL-1α、IL-1β和TNF-α等促炎细胞因子水平升高。

We have developed a new animal model of depression by modifying the Morris water maze learning situation in mice. It is generally believed that mice placed in a pool filled with opaque water will learn to escape onto a platform hidden below the water surface. However, if the difficulty of the task is increased, some of the mice gradually cease to swim and become immobile ; this response indicates a depressive state. In this research, the validity of our experimental method as a depression model was verified by demonstrating the phenotypic differences between "nonhelpless" mice(designated"Winner") and "helpless"mice(designated"Loser"). Compared with nonhelpless mice, helpless mice showed lower spontaneous locomotor activity in their home cage. In addition, helpless mice exhibited impaired neurogenesis in the hippocampus and increased serum levels of proinflammatory cytokines, such as IL-1α, IL-1β and TNF-α.