New photocell based behavioral observation boxes specially designed for mice

A. Rasti¹, R. Isacson², J. Samuelsson³ and V. Hillegaart²

¹Section of Laboratory Animal Sciences, Department of Integrated Pharmacology, Biovitrum AB, Stockholm, Sweden
²Section of Pharmacology,epartment of Integrated Pharmacology, Biovitrum AB, Stockholm, Sweden.
³Kungsbacka Mät -& Reglerteknik AB, Fjärås, Sweden

This new relatively large ‘open-field’ photocell-equipped behavioral activity box for mice is under evaluation both for established compounds as well as for compounds in the evaluation process for the development of new drugs. Both normal and genetic modi.ed animals with or without drug treatment can easily be tested for motor deficits in this behavioral equipment.

Motor activity is observed in a relative large but place optimal, ‘open field’. An inner box (500 x 500 x 250 mm) is placed in a larger ventilated, sound-attenuated box (700 x 700 x 350 mm), with a light bulb placed in the middle of the lid for the possibility of measurements in the dark or at luminosity (15W). The inner box is equipped with two rows of photocells (placed 25 mm and 60 mm above the floor respectively), measuring horizontal and vertical activity. The photocells are spaced 42 mm apart and the last photocell in a row is spaced 20 mm from the wall (16 x 16 photocells at each level). Information from each photocell is individually transferred into a personal computer, and the measurements are later used to analyze total motor activity, peripheral activity, forward locomotion, rearing activity (total and in the periphery), and speed of movements. The equipment has been evaluated by studying the effects of some psychoactive compounds as well as compounds related to the research area of obesity. Comparisons have been made between adult male C57/BL6 mice (25-30 g) and ob/ob mice (35-45 g). Compounds used were d-amphetamine, d-fenfluramine, Sibutramine, Rimonabant, m-CPP, Ro 04-6790 and BVT.5182.

The paper will include a detail description of the behavioral equipment and various possibilities to collect the data as well as possibilities for illustrating different behavioral patterns in a three dimensional way.

Paper presented at Measuring Behavior 2005 , 5^th International Conference on Methods and Techniques in Behavioral Research, 30 August - 2 September 2005, Wageningen, The Netherlands.

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