Hummer TA, Johnson AD, Givens B (2003) The effects of ethanol and cholinergic lesions on anxiety in mice. Neuroscience 2003 Abstracts 859.16. Society for Neuroscience, New Orleans, LA.
Summary: Ethanol’s anxiolytic properties in mice are well-documented as measured with an elevated plus-maze. The effect of IP ethanol injections and cholinergic lesions on anxiety was investigated. Animals were injected with 0.5 µg of the cholinergic immunotoxin anti-murine-p75-saporin or control saline into the right lateral ventricle. After recovery (14-17 d), mice were given an IP 1.6 g/kg ethanol (10% v/v) or vehicle injection. After 60 min, animals were placed on the elevated plus-maze for a 10 min session and then perfused. Mice displayed increased open arm entries and time following ethanol. Saporin did not effect measures of anxiety nor interact with the effects of ethanol. Choline acetyltransferase staining was performed to confirm the extent of the cholinergic lesioning, and ethanol assays confirmed the presence or absence of ethanol in the blood stream. The research demonstrates that, as measured in the plus-maze, the basal forebrain cholinergic system has no significant involvement in anxiety nor in ethanol’s anxiolytic effects.
Related Products: mu p75-SAP (Cat. #IT-16)