Hyperactivity and lack of social discrimination in the adolescent Fmr1 knockout mouse. Issue 8 (December 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Sørensen, Emilie M.; Bertelsen, Freja; Weikop, Pia; Skovborg, Maria M.; Banke, Tue; Drasbek, Kim R.; Scheel-Krüger, Jørgen
• Is Part Of: Behavioural pharmacology. Volume 26:Issue 8(2015)
• Publication Date: 2015-12
• Subjects: anxiety -- autism spectrum disorder -- FMR1 -- fragile X syndrome -- hyperactivity -- open-field test -- repetitive behaviour -- social behaviour -- striatal dopamine -- three-chamber test; Psychopharmacology -- Periodicals; Nervous System -- drug effects -- Periodicals; Behavior -- drug effects -- Periodicals; 615.78
• DOI: 10.1097/FBP.0000000000000152
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0955-8810

Abstract

Abstract : The aims of this study were to investigate behaviour relevant to human autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and the fragile X syndrome in adolescent Fmr1 knockout (KO) mice and to evaluate the tissue levels of striatal monoamines. Fmr1 KO mice were evaluated in the open field, marble burying and three-chamber test for the presence of hyperactivity, anxiety, repetitive behaviour, sociability and observation of social novelty compared with wild-type (WT) mice. The Fmr1 KO mice expressed anxiety and hyperactivity in the open field compared with WT mice. This increased level of hyperactivity was confirmed in the three-chamber test. Fmr1 KO mice spent more time with stranger mice compared with the WT. However, after a correction for hyperactivity, their apparent increase in sociability became identical to that of the WT. Furthermore, the Fmr1 KO mice could not differentiate between a familiar or a novel mouse. Monoamines were measured by HPLC: Fmr1 KO mice showed an increase in the striatal dopamine level. We conclude that the fragile X syndrome model seems to be useful for understanding certain aspects of ASD and may have translational interest for studies of social behaviour when hyperactivity coexists in ASD patients.