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Chen KJ, Yoshimura R, Edmundo CA, Truong TM, Civelli O, Alachkar A, Abbott GW. Behavioral and neuro-functional consequences of eliminating the KCNQ3 GABA binding site in mice. Front Mol Neurosci 2023; 16:1192628. [PMID: 37305551 PMCID: PMC10248464 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2023.1192628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2023] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Voltage-gated potassium (Kv) channels formed by α subunits KCNQ2-5 are important in regulating neuronal excitability. We previously found that GABA directly binds to and activates channels containing KCNQ3, challenging the traditional understanding of inhibitory neurotransmission. To investigate the functional significance and behavioral role of this direct interaction, mice with a mutated KCNQ3 GABA binding site (Kcnq3-W266L) were generated and subjected to behavioral studies. Kcnq3-W266L mice exhibited distinctive behavioral phenotypes, of which reduced nociceptive and stress responses were profound and sex-specific. In female Kcnq3-W266L mice, the phenotype was shifted towards more nociceptive effects, while in male Kcnq3-W266L mice, it was shifted towards the stress response. In addition, female Kcnq3-W266L mice exhibited lower motor activity and reduced working spatial memory. The neuronal activity in the lateral habenula and visual cortex was altered in the female Kcnq3-W266L mice, suggesting that GABAergic activation of KCNQ3 in these regions may play a role in the regulation of the responses. Given the known overlap between the nociceptive and stress brain circuits, our data provide new insights into a sex-dependent role of KCNQ3 in regulating neural circuits involved in nociception and stress, via its GABA binding site. These findings identify new targets for effective treatments for neurological and psychiatric conditions such as pain and anxiety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kiki J. Chen
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Ryan Yoshimura
- Bioelectricity Laboratory, Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Clarissa Adriana Edmundo
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Tri Minh Truong
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Olivier Civelli
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Amal Alachkar
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
- UC Irvine Center for the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
- Institute for Genomics and Bioinformatics, School of Information and Computer Sciences, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Geoffrey W. Abbott
- Bioelectricity Laboratory, Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
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An active avoidance behavioral paradigm for use in a mild closed head model of traumatic brain injury in mice. J Neurosci Methods 2020; 343:108831. [PMID: 32592717 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2020.108831] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2020] [Revised: 06/23/2020] [Accepted: 06/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND A mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) occurs to millions of people each year. Translational approaches to understanding the pathogenesis of neurological diseases and the testing of the effectiveness of interventions typically require cognitive function assays in rodents. NEW METHODS Our goal was to validate the active avoidance task using the GEMINI avoidance system in a mouse model of mild closed head injury (CHI). RESULTS We found that shock intensity had only a marginal effect on the test. We found that sex was an important biological variable, as female mice learned the task better than male mice. We demonstrate that a single mild CHI in mice caused deficits in the task at four weeks post-injury. COMPARISON WITH EXISTING METHODS Active avoidance is a classical conditioning test in which mice must pair the presence of a conditioned stimulus with moving between two chambers to avoid an electric shock. External conditions (i.e., apparatus), as well as inherent differences in the mice, which may not be directly linked to the model of the disease (i.e., sensory differences), can affect the reproducibility of a behavioral assay. Before our study, there was a lack of standard operating procedures and validated methods for the active avoidance behavior for phenotyping mouse models of injury and disease. CONCLUSION We offer a method for validating the active avoidance test, and a standard operating procedure, which will be useful in other models of neurological injury and disease.
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Zou S, Li CT. High-Throughput Automatic Training System for Spatial Working Memory in Free-Moving Mice. Neurosci Bull 2019; 35:389-400. [PMID: 30977042 DOI: 10.1007/s12264-019-00370-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2018] [Accepted: 12/12/2018] [Indexed: 10/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Efficient behavioral assays are crucial for understanding the neural mechanisms of cognitive functions. Here, we designed a high-throughput automatic training system for spatial cognition (HASS) for free-moving mice. Mice were trained to return to the home arm and remain there during a delay period. Software was designed to enable automatic training in all its phases, including habituation, shaping, and learning. Using this system, we trained mice to successfully perform a spatially delayed nonmatch to sample task, which tested spatial cognition, working memory, and decision making. Performance depended on the delay duration, which is a hallmark of working memory tasks. The HASS enabled a human operator to train more than six mice simultaneously with minimal intervention, therefore greatly enhancing experimental efficiency and minimizing stress to the mice. Combined with the optogenetic method and neurophysiological techniques, the HASS will be useful in deciphering the neural circuitry underlying spatial cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shimin Zou
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, Chinese Academy of Sciences, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Shanghai Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Technology, Shanghai, 200031, China.,School of Future Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Chengyu Tony Li
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, Chinese Academy of Sciences, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Shanghai Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Technology, Shanghai, 200031, China. .,School of Future Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
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A comparison of two types of running wheel in terms of mouse preference, health, and welfare. Physiol Behav 2018; 191:82-90. [DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2018.04.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2017] [Revised: 02/23/2018] [Accepted: 04/05/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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Han Z, Zhang X, Zhu J, Chen Y, Li CT. High-Throughput Automatic Training System for Odor-Based Learned Behaviors in Head-Fixed Mice. Front Neural Circuits 2018; 12:15. [PMID: 29487506 PMCID: PMC5816819 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2018.00015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2017] [Accepted: 01/30/2018] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding neuronal mechanisms of learned behaviors requires efficient behavioral assays. We designed a high-throughput automatic training system (HATS) for olfactory behaviors in head-fixed mice. The hardware and software were constructed to enable automatic training with minimal human intervention. The integrated system was composed of customized 3D-printing supporting components, an odor-delivery unit with fast response, Arduino based hardware-controlling and data-acquisition unit. Furthermore, the customized software was designed to enable automatic training in all training phases, including lick-teaching, shaping and learning. Using HATS, we trained mice to perform delayed non-match to sample (DNMS), delayed paired association (DPA), Go/No-go (GNG), and GNG reversal tasks. These tasks probed cognitive functions including sensory discrimination, working memory, decision making and cognitive flexibility. Mice reached stable levels of performance within several days in the tasks. HATS enabled an experimenter to train eight mice simultaneously, therefore greatly enhanced the experimental efficiency. Combined with causal perturbation and activity recording techniques, HATS can greatly facilitate our understanding of the neural-circuitry mechanisms underlying learned behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhe Han
- State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, Key Laboratory of Primate Neurobiology, Institute of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.,School of Future Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaoxing Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, Key Laboratory of Primate Neurobiology, Institute of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Jia Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, Key Laboratory of Primate Neurobiology, Institute of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.,School of Future Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yulei Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, Key Laboratory of Primate Neurobiology, Institute of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Chengyu T Li
- State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, Key Laboratory of Primate Neurobiology, Institute of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
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Walker M, Mason G. Using mildly electrified grids to impose costs on resource access: A potential tool for assessing motivation in laboratory mice. Appl Anim Behav Sci 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2017.09.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Mouse strain differences in punished ethanol self-administration. Alcohol 2017; 58:83-92. [PMID: 27814928 DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2016.05.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2015] [Revised: 02/05/2016] [Accepted: 05/23/2016] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Determining the neural factors contributing to compulsive behaviors such as alcohol-use disorders (AUDs) has become a significant focus of current preclinical research. Comparison of phenotypic differences across genetically distinct mouse strains provides one approach to identify molecular and genetic factors contributing to compulsive-like behaviors. Here we examine a rodent assay for punished ethanol self-administration in four widely used inbred strains known to differ on ethanol-related behaviors: C57BL/6J (B6), DBA/2J (D2), 129S1/SvImJ (S1), and BALB/cJ (BALB). Mice were trained in an operant task (FR1) to reliably lever-press for 10% ethanol using a sucrose-fading procedure. Once trained, mice received a punishment session in which lever pressing resulted in alternating ethanol reward and footshock, followed by tests to probe the effects of punishment on ethanol self-administration. Results indicated significant strain differences in training performance and punished attenuation of ethanol self-administration. S1 and BALB showed robust attenuation of ethanol self-administration after punishment, whereas behavior in B6 was attenuated only when the punishment and probe tests were conducted in the same contexts. By contrast, D2 were insensitive to punishment regardless of context, despite receiving more shocks during punishment and exhibiting normal footshock reactivity. Additionally, B6, but not D2, reduced operant self-administration when ethanol was devalued with a bitter tastant. B6 and D2 showed devaluation of sucrose self-administration, and punished suppression of sucrose seeking was context dependent in both the strains. While previous studies have demonstrated avoidance of ethanol in D2, particularly when ethanol is orally available from a bottle, current findings suggest this strain may exhibit heightened compulsive-like self-administration of ethanol, although there are credible alternative explanations for the phenotype of this strain. In sum, these findings offer a foundation for future studies examining the neural and genetic factors underlying AUDs.
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Leach PT, Kenney JW, Connor DA, Gould TJ. Thyroid receptor β involvement in the effects of acute nicotine on hippocampus-dependent memory. Neuropharmacology 2015; 93:155-63. [PMID: 25666034 PMCID: PMC4387063 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2015.01.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2014] [Revised: 01/23/2015] [Accepted: 01/25/2015] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Cigarette smoking is common despite adverse health effects. Nicotine's effects on learning may contribute to addiction by enhancing drug-context associations. Effects of nicotine on learning could be direct or could occur by altering systems that modulate cognition. Because thyroid signaling can alter cognition and nicotine/smoking may change thyroid function, nicotine could affect learning through changes in thyroid signaling. These studies investigate the functional contributions of thyroid receptor (TR) subtypes β and α1 to nicotine-enhanced learning and characterize the effects of acute nicotine and learning on thyroid hormone levels. We conducted a high throughput screen of transcription factor activity to identify novel targets that may contribute to the effects of nicotine on learning. Based on these results, which showed that combined nicotine and learning uniquely acted to increase TR activation, we identified TRs as potential targets of nicotine. Further analyses were conducted to determine the individual and combined effects of nicotine and learning on thyroid hormone levels, but no changes were seen. Next, to determine the role of TRβ and TRα1 in the effects of nicotine on learning, mice lacking the TRβ or TRα1 gene and wildtype littermates were administered acute nicotine prior to fear conditioning. Nicotine enhanced contextual fear conditioning in TRα1 knockout mice and wildtypes from both lines but TRβ knockout mice did not show nicotine-enhanced learning. This finding supports involvement of TRβ signaling in the effect of acute nicotine on hippocampus-dependent memory. Acute nicotine enhances learning and these effects may involve processes regulated by the transcription factor TRβ.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prescott T Leach
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience Program, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122, USA
| | - Justin W Kenney
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience Program, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122, USA
| | - David A Connor
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience Program, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122, USA
| | - Thomas J Gould
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience Program, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122, USA.
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Vogel conflict test: Sex differences and pharmacological validation of the model. Behav Brain Res 2011; 218:174-83. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2010.11.041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2010] [Revised: 11/12/2010] [Accepted: 11/20/2010] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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How Many Ways Can Mouse Behavioral Experiments Go Wrong? Confounding Variables in Mouse Models of Neurodegenerative Diseases and How to Control Them. ADVANCES IN THE STUDY OF BEHAVIOR 2010. [DOI: 10.1016/s0065-3454(10)41007-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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Umathe SN, Manna SSS, Utturwar KS, Jain NS. Endocannabinoids mediate anxiolytic-like effect of acetaminophen via CB1 receptors. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2009; 33:1191-9. [PMID: 19580839 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2009.06.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2009] [Revised: 06/26/2009] [Accepted: 06/26/2009] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Acetaminophen (Paracetamol), a most commonly used antipyretic/analgesic agent, is metabolized to AM404 (N-arachidonoylphenolamine) that inhibits uptake and degradation of anandamide which is reported to mediate the analgesic action of acetaminophen via CB1 receptor. AM404 and anandamide are also reported to produce anxiolytic-like behavior. In view of the implication of endocannabinoids in the effect of acetaminophen, we contemplated that acetaminophen may have anxiolytic-like effect. Therefore, this possibility was tested by observing the effects of various doses of acetaminophen in mice on anxiety-related indices of Vogel conflict test and social interaction test. The results from both the tests indicated that acetaminophen (50, 100, or 200 mg/kg, i.p.) or anandamide (10 or 20 microg/mouse, i.c.v.) dose dependently elicited anxiolytic-like effect, that was comparable to diazepam (2 mg/kg, i.p.). Moreover, co-administration of sub-effective dose of acetaminophen (25 mg/kg, i.p.) and anandamide (5 microg/mouse, i.c.v) produced similar anxiolytic effect. Further, pre-treatment with AM251 (a CB1 receptor antagonist; 1 mg/kg, i.p.) antagonized the effects of acetaminophen and anandamide with no per se effect at 1 mg/kg dose, while anxiogenic effect was evident at a higher dose (5 mg/kg, i.p.). None of the treatment/s was found to induce any antinociceptive or locomotor impairment effects. In conclusion, the findings suggested that acetaminophen (50, 100, or 200 mg/kg, i.p.) exhibited dose dependent anxiolytic effect in mice and probably involved endocannabinoid-mediated mechanism in its effect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sudhir N Umathe
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj Nagpur University, Mahatma Jyotiba Fuley Shaikshanik Parisar, Nagpur, MS-440033, India.
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Zhao H, Li Q, Pei X, Zhang Z, Yang R, Wang J, Li Y. Long-term ginsenoside administration prevents memory impairment in aged C57BL/6J mice by up-regulating the synaptic plasticity-related proteins in hippocampus. Behav Brain Res 2009; 201:311-7. [PMID: 19428650 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2009.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2009] [Revised: 02/27/2009] [Accepted: 03/04/2009] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Memory impairment is considered to be one of the most prominent consequences of aging. Deterioration of memory begins in advance of old age in animals, including humans. Thus, it is extremely important to prevent memory decline for increasing healthy aging. Ginsenoside, the effective ingredient of ginseng, has been reported to have a neuron beneficial effect, but the preventive role on memory impairment and the underlying mechanisms have not been well determined. In the present study, C57BL/6J mice aged 12 months were chronically treated with ginsenoside 100mg/kg per day for 8 months. Placebo-treated aged mice, young and adult ones (4- and 8-month-old, respectively) were used as controls. The efficacious effect of ginsenoside was manifested in the amelioration of memory impairment in aged mice by Morris water maze and step-down tests. Compared with aged control group, the plasticity-related proteins including phospho-N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor1 (NMDAR1), phospho-calcium-calmodulin dependent kinase II (CaMK II), phospho-PKA catalytic beta subunit (PKA Cbeta), phospho-cAMP-response element binding protein (CREB) and brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in hippocampus significantly increased in ginsenoside treated group. These findings suggest that ginsenoside is effective on the prevention of age-related memory impairment, and the up-regulation of plasticity-related proteins in hippocampus may be one of the mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haifeng Zhao
- Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, School of Public Health, Peking University, Xueyuan Road 38, Beijing 100191, PR China
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Abstract
This paper is the thirtieth consecutive installment of the annual review of research concerning the endogenous opioid system. It summarizes papers published during 2007 that studied the behavioral effects of molecular, pharmacological and genetic manipulation of opioid peptides, opioid receptors, opioid agonists and opioid antagonists. The particular topics that continue to be covered include the molecular-biochemical effects and neurochemical localization studies of endogenous opioids and their receptors related to behavior, and the roles of these opioid peptides and receptors in pain and analgesia; stress and social status; tolerance and dependence; learning and memory; eating and drinking; alcohol and drugs of abuse; sexual activity and hormones, pregnancy, development and endocrinology; mental illness and mood; seizures and neurologic disorders; electrical-related activity and neurophysiology; general activity and locomotion; gastrointestinal, renal and hepatic functions; cardiovascular responses; respiration and thermoregulation; and immunological responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard J Bodnar
- Department of Psychology and Neuropsychology Doctoral Sub-Program, Queens College, City University of New York, 65-30 Kissena Blvd.,Flushing, NY 11367, United States.
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Abstract
When animals are used in a biomedical research activity that may result in more than mild or momentary pain or distress, humanity, federal regulations and common sense direct us to use the least sentient species that can fulfill the aims of the research. The use of a less-sentient species is in line with the concept of Replacement, one of the well-known 3Rs of laboratory animal use. But what is a less-sentient species? Is a chimpanzee less sentient than a human; is a dog less sentient than a chimpanzee; and is a mouse less sentient than a dog? Does 'less sentient' imply that a species is less able to experience pain, is less intelligent or has less self-awareness? This essay will explore some of the relationships between sentience, pain and vertebrate phylogeny.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jerald Silverman
- Department of Animal Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01655, USA.
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