Mast cells are resident in the brain and contain numerous mediators, including neurotransmitters, cytokines, and chemokines, that are released in response to a variety of natural and pharmacological triggers. The number of mast cells in the brain fluctuates with stress and various behavioral and endocrine states. These properties suggest that mast cells are poised to influence neural systems un...

An adverse environment in early life is often associated with dysregulation of the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and higher rates of mood disorders in adulthood. In rats, exposure to social stress during pregnancy results in hyperactive HPA axis responses to stress in the adult offspring and heightened anxiety behavior in the males, but not the females. Here we tested whether, withou...

introduction: previous studies have shown that cannabinoidergic system is involved in anxiety. however, there are controversial reports in the experimental studies. the aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of pharmacological stimulation or blocking of cb1 receptors and inhibition of endocannabinoid degradation in anxiety like behavior in elevated plus-maze (epm) test in rat. the epm is o...

Patients with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) commonly experience aberrant tactile sensitivity, yet the neural alterations underlying somatosensory dysfunction and the extent to which tactile deficits contribute to ASD characteristics are unknown. We report that mice harboring mutations in Mecp2, Gabrb3, Shank3, and Fmr1 genes associated with ASDs in humans exhibit altered tactile discriminati...

The transition to parenthood is generally associated with a reduction in anxiety or anxiety-like behavior across a wide range of species. In some species, juveniles provide supplementary parental care for younger siblings, a behavior known as alloparenting. Although the fitness consequences of alloparenting behavior have been a focus of evolutionary research, less is known about how alloparenti...

Low serotonin(1A) receptor (5-HT(1A)R) binding is a risk factor for anxiety and depression, and deletion of the 5-HT(1A)R results in anxiety-like behavior in mice. Here we show that anxiety-like behavior in mice also can be caused, independently of the offspring's own 5-HT(1A)R genotype, by a receptor deficit in the mother: a nongenetic transmission of a genetic defect. Some of the nongenetical...

It is important to establish experimental animal techniques that are applicable to the newborn and infant phases for nutrition and pharmacological studies. Breeding technology using the artificial suckling method without breast milk is very effective for the study of newborn nutrition. Using this method, we separated newborn mice from dams within 48 h of birth and provided them with artificial ...

Cholecystokinin (CCK) as an important neuropeptide in the brain has been implicated in the modulation of anxiety. The effects of this neurotransmitter on anxiety-like behavior in the ventral hippocampus have not been evaluated yet. Moreover, some evidences show a functional interaction between GABA and CCK in the nervous system. Bilateral injections of three doses of CCK8s (0.01, 0.05 and 0.1 μ...

While disruption of the circadian clock triggers a spectrum of affective abnormalities, how the clock regulates mammalian emotionality remains unclear. Here, we characterized the time-of-day-dependent regulation of mouse anxiety-like behaviors. We show that anxiety-like behaviors are expressed in a circadian manner in mice and demonstrate that the clock machineries in the dorsal telencephalon (...

It is now well established that vestibular information plays an important role in spatial memory processes. Although vestibular lesions induce anxiety in humans, this finding remains controversial in rodents. However, it is possible that anxiety-related behavior is associated with spatial memory impairments after vestibular lesions. We aimed to evaluate anxiety-like behavior and the effect of a...