A physiological analysis of dissociative learning against a background of physostigmine and pentobarbital

Physostigmine (0.7-0.8 mg/kg, i.p.) decreased and pentobarbital (13.4-14.6 mg/kg) increased the locomotor and emotional activity of rats in the "open field". Both drugs induced the reversible amnesia to a conditioned reaction in a double T-maze with positive (nutritional) reinforcement. These changes in behavioral activity were correlated with dissociated learning of rats after the injection of the drugs: physostigmine largely decreased the number of errors during learning as compared with pentobarbital. However, in both cases rats reached the learning criterion sooner than the control animals due to the shorter reaction latency (physostigmine) and increase in general motor activity (pentobarbital).     

Effect of the variable magnetic field of the extremely low frequency on metabolic processes in the liver of animals with various individual and typological characteristics

The effect of alternating magnetic field (8 Hz, 5 microT) on lipid peroxidation, thiol-disulfide exchange, the antioxidant system, and energy metabolism in liver of animals was studied. It was found that metabolic changes caused by the application of magnetic field vary in animals with different behavior in the "open field". Statistically significant changes in the activity of some enzymes involved in the antioxidant system and thiol-disulfide exchange were revealed.     

Effect of previous experience in reacting to a danger signal on "open field" behavior in the rat

Modification of rats behaviour in an "hopen field" test was investigated, induced by an acoustic stimulus, previously subjected to conditioning in a shuttle chamber in experiments with possibility and impossibility of avoidance from electrical shock. It has been established that presentation of a stimulus having the meaning of a danger signal, in a new situation, significantly suppresses investigating behaviour of rats, whereas the stimulus which had not been subjected to conditioning exerts no marked effect on behaviour. The greatest suppression was observed in rats with "learned helplessness". This fact suggests that the degree of suppression of the behaviour in an open field in response to a danger signal, depends on the animal's previous experience in reacting to this signal.     

Excitatory effect of tuftsin tetrapeptide on the activity of white rats

Studies on male white rats have shown that tuftsin (trelys-pro-arg) enhances the locomotion in animals as disclosed by a series of the behavioral tests. The effect is dose-dependent: a dose of 50 microgram/kg did not change any of the test parameters, while that of 150 microgram/kg induced a short-term elevation of locomotion measured with an "Animeks". Administration of tuftsin in a dose of 300 microgram/kg led to the enhancement of the animals' locomotion as measured with the "Animeks", to the increased "open field" running time and to the reduced latent period of the reaction during the training in a T-shaped maze. Also, this dose of the peptide relaxed the reactions associated with fear. It is assumed that the effects observed are consequent on the stimulant action of tuftsin on the body of white rats.     

Croton zehntneri essential oil: effects on behavioral models related to depression and anxiety.

Croton zehntneri (Cz), a popular plant used to treat "nervous disturbance", contains a complex mixture of compounds, including substances exhibiting central nervous system activity. The effects of Cz essential oil administration (p.o.) on the rat's central nervous system were studied in behavioral models used to evaluate anxiety and antidepressive drugs. The results showed that administration of Cz essential oil: 1) increased the immobility duration measured in the forced swimming test as compared to control group (control = 89.8 +/- 45.8; 1 microl = 153.0 +/- 48.7; 3 microl = 157.4 +/- 45.3; 10 microl = 145.3 +/- 51.0); 2) reduced the locomotion frequency observed in the open field (control = 62.5 +/- 22.7; 3 microl = 38.0 +/- 13.5; 10 microl = 39.2 +/- 22.2); 3) had no effect on the experimental group (1 microl) observed in open field; 4) had no effect on animals tested in social interactions, plus-maze and holeboard tests. These data suggest that Cz oil produced central depressor effects in rats without any anxiety alterations. These results may explain the popular use of this plant in Brazilian folk medicine for treating "nervous disturbances".     

Factor analysis of rat behavior in the open-field test

Method of major components, a variety of factor analysis, was used for evaluation of rats behaviour motivational structure in the open field test. 40 outbred rats of Wistar line (20 males and females) were examined in which 22 behaviour characteristics were studied. It was shown that a greater part (60%) of rats individual behaviour variability in the open field test was determined by the action of three major components (factors), which were defined as "investigation", "fear" and "shifted activity". Factor structure was studied of main characteristics of behaviour, recorded in the open field test. The use of factor analysis allowed to carry out animals classification on the basis of their disposition in coordinates of the obtained major components.     

Behavioral effects of L-tryptophan and p-chlorophenylalanine after adrenalectomy or dexamethasone administration in rats

Effects of acute administration of L-tryptophan (L-TRP. 250.0 mg/kg, i.p.) on active avoidance conditioning and "open-field" behavior were studied in male rats after adrenalectomy of dexamethasone administration. L-TRP inhibited the acquisition and reproduction of active avoidance reaction in adrenalectomized and dexamethasone-treated rats. Moreover, L-TRP decreased horizontal locomotor activity and grooming behavior in the "open field" on adrenalectomized rats. On the contrary, p-CPA restored the active avoidance conditioning in adrenalectomized rats and rats with excess of glucocorticoids. Also, p-CPA increased the total locomotor activity and grooming behavior in the "open field" in adrenalectomized rats, but decreased horizontal locomotor activity and enhanced emotional reaction in dexamethasone-treated rats in the "open field".     

Effect of vibrissae removal on the defensive behavior of rats in early ontogeny

Influence of restricted sensory afferentation in rats forming of defensive reactions was studied by vibrissectomy from 9 to 20 day of postnatal ontogeny. Defensive withdrawal reaction in response to touch from 10 to 18 day, duration of freezing on 20 day, "open field" behavior on 25 day were measured. Intensity of withdrawal reactions, freezing duration, flight reaction and emotionality in "open field" were lower in vibrissectomized rats with comparison to control.     

降雨对草地土壤呼吸季节变异性的影响

利用土壤碳通量自动观测系统(LI-8150)对呼伦贝尔草原在自然降雨条件下的土壤呼吸作用进行了野外定位连续观测,研究结果表明:降雨对土壤呼吸作用存在激发效应和抑制效应,降雨发生后1-2 h内土壤呼吸速率可增加约1倍,当单次或者连续降雨累积量大于7-8 mm,或土壤含水量大于29%-30%时,降雨对土壤呼吸会产生明显的抑制作用。土壤呼吸的激发效应往往体现在次日,表现为次日平均土壤呼吸速率的显著升高;而抑制效应则在当日即可体现出来,表现为观测当日平均土壤呼吸速率的明显下降。土壤呼吸季节变异性与降雨频率和降雨强度密切相关,在降雨量一定的情况下,较低的降雨频率和较高的降雨强度会增加土壤呼吸的变异性。呼伦贝尔草甸草原而言,在生长季土壤平均含水量为16.5%时,土壤呼吸的温度敏感性值(Q₁₀)为2.12;而平均土壤含水量为26%时,Q₁₀值为2.82,明显高于前者,土壤含水量与Q₁₀之间存在正相关关系。降雨导致土壤呼吸的激发效应和抑制效应交替发生,使草地土壤呼吸的季节变异性增加,降雨格局变化必然会对草地碳循环和碳通量特征产生深刻影响。     

The action of tropic adenohypophyseal hormones when administered intraventricularly on rat behavioral reactions

In experiments on rats the influence was studied of tropic hormones of adenohypophysis--somatotropin, thyrotropin and adrenocorticotropin (STH, ThTN and ACTH respectively) on the elaboration and extinction of conditioned reaction of active avoidance (CRAA) in Y-maze and behaviour in the open field under microinjections of hormones into the brain lateral ventricle (0.001-0.002 ME). It has been shown that all studied hormones improve animals learning at negative pain reinforcement; ThTH and ACTH retard it in contrast to STH, which accelerates the extinction of the elaborated CRAA; tropic hormones exert differentiated influence on rats behaviour in the open field. No distinct correlation was found between behavioural manifestation and the level of catecholamines in the rats hypothalamus.     

Effect of acute and chronic deprivation of catecholaminergic system activity induced by 6-hydroxydopamine on the behavior of the rat

On 202 male rats of Wistar line, a study was carried out of the effect of chronic and acute deprivations of the brain CA-systems activity resulting from administration of 6-OHDA on investigating behaviour and learning. Chronic deprivation of CA-systems activity by neonatal administration of 6-OHDA (100 mg/kg subcutaneously) and their acute deprivation by intracerebral administration of 6-OHDA to adult rats (150 mkg in each lateral ventriculus) was accompanied by similar deep changes of behaviour. Both forms of deprivation reduced the investigating activity of the animals in the open field. In both cases, the above 6-OHDA dozes sharply impeded the learning of animals with emotionally negative reinforcement, with no significant influence on learning with emotionally positive reinforcement. Both forms of deprivation of CA-systems activity weakened the reaction of frustration elicited by a sharp reduction of food reinforcement.     

Learning to differentiate microintervals of time using verbal feedback

Reaction time (RT) and the number of correct estimations of time microintervals (10 and 180 ms) between two visual stimuli were recorded in healthy subjects. It has been shown that 10 ms interval is better estimated when the stimuli are presented in the right visual field, i.e. when they are addressed directly to the left hemisphere. At the same time the number of correct estimations of 180 ms interval is greater and their RT is less when the stimuli are addressed directly to the right hemisphere. This points to different hemispheric mechanisms of time microintervals estimation. Study of the influence of different forms of verbal reinforcement on this learning has shown that after positive reinforcement (the word "good") the number of correct estimations is on average by 10% greater than after negative reinforcement (the word "error"). This may be connected with such processes as isolation and identification of erroneous reaction.     

The effect of newly synthesized psychotropic preparations on the "open field" behavior of rats]

The results of effect of some new synthesized psychotropic drugs of nootropic series on rats' behavior in "open field" are given. The increase of locomotive activity and decrease of emotional tension correlated with the rise of rats' ability to learning during working-out of avoidance reaction in shuttle-box, e.i. conditionally reflectory memory. It has been concluded that the study of dynamics of behavioral reactions in "open field" may be used for testing of new synthesized psychotropic drugs of nootropic series.     

The method for studying of the "magnetic vacuum" effect on color memory in humans

The method for studying the effects of weak magnetic fields and "magnetic vacuum" on the psychophysiological state of a human organism is proposed. This method includes the system of the exposure of a human organism to uniform constant and alternating magnetic fields and the system of computerized psychological tests. The influence of the weakening of constant magnetic field on the psychophysiological state of human organisms was studied. The short-term color memory and reaction rates of 30 subjects have been examined in the local geomagnetic field and in a magnetic field which was reduced in 10 and more times. Statistically significant differences in the color memory test was found in the magnetic field 4 +/- 1 microT in comparison with the results in the geomagnetic field. In the magnetic field 0 +/- 1 microT, slight impairment of color memory was found. Preliminary results in the test of reaction rates showed the tendency to slowing down the reaction rates in the weakened magnetic fields.     

Type of behavior and superoxide dismutase activity in the brain of rats (a comparison of 2 Tryon strains)

Differences in the type of behaviour in capable ("maze-bright") and incapable ("maze-dull") Tryon rats have been demonstrated in the situation with pain-irritated partner by the method of "emotional resonance". Most "bright" rats belonged to the type not avoiding the signals of another pain-irritated rat, they revealed a persistent ecologically defensive reaction of preferring a small closed space. The type of anxiety behaviour prevailed in the group of "dull" rats. In the open field test "bright" rats were characterized by low locomotor activity and high level of defecation and "dull" rats by high activity and low defecation. Increased levels of superoxide dismutase activity and high content of thiobarbituric acid-reactive material were observed in brains of dull rats. The interrelations between behavioural and molecular levels of defensive response to stress is discussed.     

Laser interferometry of the hydrolytic changes in protein solutions: the refractive index and hydration shells

Using an original laser interferometer of enhanced sensitivity, an increase in the refractive index of a protein solution was observed during the reaction of proteolysis catalyzed by pepsin. The increase in the refractive index of the protein solution at a concentration of 4 mg/ml was \( 9 \times 10^{-6} \) for bovine serum albumin and \(2.4 \times 10^{- 6}\) for lysozyme. The observed effect disproves the existing idea that the refractive index of protein solutions is determined only by their amino acid composition and concentration. It is shown that the refractive index also depends on the state of protein fragmentation. A mathematical model of proteolysis and a real-time method for estimating the state of protein hydration based on the measurement of refractive index during the reaction are proposed. A good agreement between the experimental and calculated time dependences of the refractive index shows that the growth of the surface of protein fragments and the change in the number of hydration cavities during proteolysis can be responsible for the observed effect.     

The model of the reward choice basing on the theory of reinforcement learning

We developed the model of alimentary instrumental conditioned bar-pressing reflex for cats making a choice between either immediate small reinforcement ("impulsive behavior") or delayed more valuable reinforcement ("self-control behavior"). Our model is based on the reinforcement learning theory. We emulated dopamine contribution by discount coefficient of this theory (a subjective decrease in the value of a delayed reinforcement). The results of computer simulation showed that "cats" with large discount coefficient demonstrated "self-control behavior"; small discount coefficient was associated with "impulsive behavior". This data are in agreement with the experimental data indicating that the impulsive behavior is due to a decreased amount of dopamine in striatum.     

The role of motivation in the performance of a conditioned switching-over of the maze habit in ants Myrmica rubra after a change in the quality of the food reinforcement

Active foragers Myrmica rubra were trained in a maze under conditions of different levels of colony need in food with carbohydrate (sugar syrup) or protein (ants Lasius niger pupae) reinforcement. Acquisition of the maze habit was better under conditions of reinforcement with pupae, especially by its time indices. Ants were able to modify the acquired habit when the reinforcement quality was changed. It was shown that learning was possible only when the colony and after a change pupae for the syrup was "hungry". Under these conditions, after a change of the syrup for pupae or visa versa the previously acquired optimum habit was transferred. Several hours later, with satiation of the colony, food reactions learned with protein reinforcement switched-over to "stochastic" non-optimized behavior with the dominance of exploratory reactions. Thus, it was shown that higher social insects ants were capable for conditioned switching-over. Different forms of this phenomenon depended on the level of the colony need in food and, consequently, on the level of the social food motivation of foragers ants.     

Effect of the ecologically significant variable magnetic field on metabolic parameters in the animal brain

The influence of an ecologically significant magnetic field (8 Hz) on metabolic processes in brain regions of animals with different constitutional features was studied. Oppositely directed metabolic changes in the brain of animals with different behavior in the "open field" test were revealed. It was found that the right brain hemisphere dominates in system reaction to extremely low-frequency magnetic fields.     

Role of noradrenaline of the dorsal hippocampus in the mechanism of self-stimulation reaction in rats

In has been established that intrahippocampal bilateral injection of NA did not influence common frequency of lateral hypothalamic self stimulation. After the destruction of hippocampal NA - terminals of 6-OHDA increased the frequency of self stimulation and rearing. It is suggested that NA hippocampus inhibit the recall trace of the memory of sensory reinforcement stimuli in the course of stimulation "reward".