[A multiparameter method for the complex evaluation of anxiety-phobic states in rats]. / Mnogoparametrovyi metod kompleksnoi otsenki trevozhno-fobicheskikh sostoianii u krys.

A new multiparameter method is elaborated for evaluating the anxiety-phobic states in rats. The method is based on a ranged scale of parameters which characterize the species-specific responses of an animal to the series of ethologically adequate test-stimuli inducing manifestation of the anxiety-phobic states. The method makes it possible to evaluate an individual anxiety-phobic level of a rat, to form experimental groups of rats with known individual anxiety-phobic levels, to conduct repeated observations of the same animals. The method is easy to introduce into laboratory practice and makes it possible to obtain results quickly.

[An electrographic analysis of the dynamic change in the functional state of the rat brain after destruction of the locus coeruleus]. / Elektrograficheskii analiz dinamiki izmeneniia funktsional'nogo sostoianiia mozga krys posle razrusheniia locus coeruleus.

Bilateral destruction of the Locus coeruleus in rats was carried out by means of 6-hydroxydopamine injections. Sham-operated animals served as control ones. Electrical activity was recorded in the region of the Locus coeruleus, the dorsal hippocampus, and in the caudatus-putamen complex. Beginning from the second week after surgery in experimental rats was observed a generalization of the theta-rhythm (7-9 Hz) in electrical activity of the Locus coeruleus, hippocampus and the caudatus-putamen complex during orienting-exploratory activity. At the same time such a rhythm was enhanced in animals with motor and orienting-exploratory agitation. In comparison to the sham-operated animals there were no changes in expression in the electrical activity of the subcortical structures of the rhythm of 5-6 Hz, accompanying immobilization state as well as that of 9-11 Hz, accompanying teeth chattering. The dynamics of changes of subcortical electrical activity of rats after the Locus coeruleus destruction may serve an index of the functional state of the animals under the conditions of noradrenergic deficiency. Changes of the brain electrical activity and behaviour of the animals revealed are considered to be a consequence of a relative enhancement of the central serotoninergic regulation of the subcortical structures being caused by a weakening of noradrenergic influences.

[A new method of assessing anxiety-phobic states in rats]. / Novyi metod otsenki trevozhno-fobicheskikh sostoianii u krys.

A new multiparameter method for evaluating anxiety-phobic states in rats is elaborated. The method is based on the ranged scale consisting of parameters which characterize the species-specific rat response to the series of ethologically adequate test-stimuli inducing manifestation of the anxiety-phobic states. The method makes it possible to evaluate individual anxiety-phobic level in rats, to form experimental groups with rats of known individual anxiety-phobic level, to conduct repeated observations in the same animals. The method is easy to perform in laboratory and makes it possible to get the results quickly.

[The dynamic behavioral changes in rats after destruction of the locus coeruleus]. / Dinamika izmenenii povedeniia krys posle razrusheniia locus coeruleus.

Destruction of locus coeruleus (LC) was conducted in adult rats (male rats of the Wistar line, 250-300 g) electrolytically or by means of 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA). Behaviour of the intact animals sham-operated and of rats with destructed LC was evaluated before and every week after the operation during 5 weeks. Statistically significant alterations in the behaviour were revealed only in the initially low-active rats. These animals were characterized firstly, by low motor and exploratory activity in all tests (open field and automated devices), disturbance of the reactivity to novelty--only in one week after the operation with subsequent compensation of shifts; secondly, by low level of investigatory activity in the open field and absence of habituation to the repetitive tests--from the 21-st day after the operation.

[Functional inactivation of the hippocampus by controlled neuroimmunization]. / Funktsional'naia dezaktivatsiia gippokampa putem napravlennogo neiroimmunnogo vozdeistviia.

The method of immunization with hippocampal tissue cytosol was employed for functional disturbance of hippocampus in newborn and mature rats. This influence resulted in behavioral disorders resembling the hippocampectomy consequences. There were ++non-decremental motor activity and rearing in "open field" test and an improvement in acquisition of active avoidance response in adult rats (250-300 g). In young animals the decreased levels of motor and exploratory activity in "open field" and difficulties in active avoidance learning (in 40 days) were the main features of hippocampal disturbance. In case of immunization with neocortical cytosol no significant alterations in behavior were revealed.

Functional characteristics of the mature and developing brain following neuroimmunization: analysis of short-term plasticity in the rat hippocampus.

The influence of neuroimmunization by the total antigens of the cytosol fraction of hippocampal tissue or neocortical tissue on the indices of short-term plasticity in adult and developing (3 to 4 week old) Wistar rats has been investigated. Short-term plasticity was evaluated on the basis of changes in the slow-wave component of the focal potentials (FP) of the CA3 field of the hippocampus upon stimulation of the region of the dentate gyrus. The FP were recorded under nembutal anesthesia. In the groups of the hippocampus of adult and developing immunized rats, the greatest changes in short-term plasticity in the form of extreme intensification of the expressivity of the properties of paired facilitation and frequency potentiation were confined to the pyramidal layer. In the neocortex groups, the changes, as a rule, were less marked, and had the opposite sign; the main differences were found in the recording of the FP in the zone of the apical dendrites of the pyramidal neurons. It was noted that the focal activity of the young immunized animals is characterized by greater maturity as compared with the age norm. A conclusion is drawn regarding the different primary localization of the targets of the neuroimmune effect when antigens of different brain structures are used, namely hippocampus versus neocortex, and regarding the dependence of the physiological effect of neuroimmunization on the degree of maturity of the target structure.

[Functional characteristics of the mature and developing brain following neuroimmunization: an analysis of the short-term plasticity of the rat hypothalamus]. / Funktsional'nye kharakteristiki zrelogo i razvivaiushchegosia mozga posle neiroimmunizatsii: analiz kratvovremennoi plastichnosti v gippokampe krys.

In experiments on mature and developing (3-4 weeks old) rats the influence was shown of neuroimmunization with summate antigens of hippocampal or neocortical tissue cytosolic fraction on short-term plasticity of hippocampal CA3 field potentials under dentate gyrus zone stimulation. An increase of paired facilitation and frequency potentiation was revealed in pyramidal layer responses of hippocampal tissue immunized animals. In case of immunization with neocortical antigens the changes were less expressed, had mainly the opposite direction and took place in the apical dendrites zone. In young animals besides antigen spectrum depending effects of neuroimmunization an earlier manifestation (in comparison with age norm) of some focal activity definitive properties was described. The suggestions are made about different localization of hippocampal or neocortical tissue immunization "targets" with possible preferential damage of intrahippocampal systems when using this structure antigens, and also about dependence of physiological consequences on the extent of target structure ontogenetic maturity.

[Functional characteristics of the developing brain after early postnatal neural immunization in rats: a behavioral analysis]. / Funktsional'nye kharakteristiki razvivaiushchegosia mozga posle rannei postnatal'noi neiroimmunizatsii u krys: analiz povedeniia.

In experiments on Wistar line young rats immunized in the early postnatal period with antigenic complexes of the nervous tissue of the hippocampus or the neocortex of an adult rat, the influence was studied of the change of the immunoreactivity to antigenic complexes of these structures on the functional brain development. Experimental animals were immunized twice in the age of 5 and 12 days or daily in the first 7 days of life. Studies of the behaviour of experimental and control animals in various situations, beginning from the two-weeks age, revealed expressed distinctions in the behaviour of animals, immunized by the hippocampus antigens: reduction of the capability to change the behaviour in changed experimental conditions (two-weeks age), and also a deficit of orienting (three weeks age) and conditioned (six weeks age) activities. A raised level was found of anticerebral antibodies in 1.5-months animals immunized in the early age. Suggestion is expressed about the significance of neuroimmune interaction in the mechanisms of the functional brain development.

[Effect of neuroimmunization with a complex of antigens from different portions of the brain on behavior in the rat]. / Vliianie neiroimmunizatsii kompleksom antigenov raznykh otdelov mozga na povedenie krys.

Twice-repeated (with one-week interval) immunization of male rats with antigen complex of water-soluble protein fraction of rat hippocampus (WPH, 2 mg of total protein per rat) entailed statistically significant improvement in acquisition of a shuttle-box active avoidance response in comparison with animals immunized with antigen complex of water-soluble fraction of neocortex (WPN) or bovine sera albumin (BSA) of intact animals. Significant differences in resistance against extinction of the orienting reflex in the "open-field" test were found in the behaviour of animals immunized with WPH. Immunological analysis revealed a total increase in the level of antibrain antibodies in sera of all the immunized rats in comparison with the intact ones. No obvious correlation was found between the degree of development of the immune response and the physiological parameters. The neuroimmune actions seem to result in alterations of the hippocampus functional activity.