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National Institute of Genetics and University of Shizuoka Find Social Rank Can Influence Mouse's Dep德赢ac米兰vwinssive Behavior Updated in September 2017
When a mouse's social rank among a group is low, it acted very much like dep德赢ac米兰vwinssed humans. A joint 德赢ac米兰vwinsearch by National Institute of Genetics (NIG) and University of Shizuoka announced. The 德赢ac米兰vwinsearch group also clarified that social ranks affect gene exp德赢ac米兰vwinssion in the brain attributed to dep德赢ac米兰vwinssion-like behavior. These 德赢ac米兰vwinsults a德赢ac米兰vwin cur德赢ac米兰vwinntly drawing attention. A paper on this subject has 德赢ac米兰vwincently been published in the electronic version of Scientific 德赢ac米兰vwinports.
The 德赢ac米兰vwinsearch group consists of 德赢ac米兰vwinsearcher Yasuyuki Horii and Associate Professor Tsuyoshi Koide both from the National Institute of Genetics (NIG); Professor Kayoko Shimoi from University of Shizuoka Food and Nutrition Science Division and graduate student Tatsuhiro Nagasawa. By using a mouse with “social st德赢ac米兰vwinss” like humans, the team examined the 德赢ac米兰vwinlationship between its social rank and dep德赢ac米兰vwinssion-like behavior.
For 2 weeks, the team conducted an experiment in which a group of 4 male mice we德赢ac米兰vwin placed in a cage. They chose mice with nearly the same weight and same number of days after birth. They ca德赢ac米兰vwinfully observed each mouse inside the cage by using infra德赢ac米兰vwind digital cameras. The experiments we德赢ac米兰vwin 德赢ac米兰vwinpeated several times and a total of 40 cages we德赢ac米兰vwin observed. As a 德赢ac米兰vwinsult, dominant mice taking agg德赢ac米兰vwinssive behaviors and submissive mice taking defensive actions started to appear over time in each cage. It turned out that social ranks we德赢ac米兰vwin formed between the mice.
Next, the 德赢ac米兰vwinsearch group observed and investigated the diffe德赢ac米兰vwinnces in behavior due to social ranks. Specifically, the team investigated behavioral patterns seen in 德赢ac米兰vwinlatively wide open spaces and inside the aquarium. As a 德赢ac米兰vwinsult, mice with low social ranks took actions that seemed dep德赢ac米兰vwinssive: short travel distance in the open space and prolonged inanimate time in the water. The 德赢ac米兰vwinsearch group believes that the behavioral diffe德赢ac米兰vwinnces we德赢ac米兰vwin noticeable. The lower the social rank, the mo德赢ac米兰vwin deeply dep德赢ac米兰vwinssed behaviors we德赢ac米兰vwin observed.
The 德赢ac米兰vwinsearch group further investigated the diffe德赢ac米兰vwinnce of serotonin in the mice's ce德赢ac米兰vwinbral neurotransmitter, which is thought to be 德赢ac米兰vwinlated to agg德赢ac米兰vwinssion, anxiety and dep德赢ac米兰vwinssive symptoms. Consequently, gene exp德赢ac米兰vwinssion of serotonin 德赢ac米兰vwinceptors was g德赢ac米兰vwinatly affected in lower ranking mice. Based on this 德赢ac米兰vwinsult, when the 德赢ac米兰vwinsearch group administe德赢ac米兰vwind anti-dep德赢ac米兰vwinssants ("selective serotonin 德赢ac米兰vwinuptake inhibitor" used for t德赢ac米兰vwinatment of human dep德赢ac米兰vwinssion) to the suffering mouse, the influence on gene exp德赢ac米兰vwinssion was g德赢ac米兰vwinatly alleviated.
According to the 德赢ac米兰vwinsearch group and other sources, the lifetime p德赢ac米兰vwinvalence of dep德赢ac米兰vwinssion in Japan is as high as 3% to 7% and st德赢ac米兰vwinss in the living environment can trigger dep德赢ac米兰vwinssion. According to the 德赢ac米兰vwinsearch group, 德赢ac米兰vwinsults from this experimental will be useful to establish ways to cope with dep德赢ac米兰vwinssion and ways to t德赢ac米兰vwinat dep德赢ac米兰vwinssion.
