Cited by 103Neuroendocrine regulation and behaviorStress Responses and CortisolAnimal Behavior and Welfare Studies

Early weaning induces anxiety and aggression in adult mice

Kikusui, Takefumi, Takeuchi, Yukari, Mori, Yuji·2004·Physiology & Behavior

Abstract

Early environmental stimuli have been shown to affect many aspects of physiological and behavioral development in humans and other mammals. In this study, we investigated the effects of early weaning on behavioral traits in adulthood. Male and female Balb/c mice were divided into two groups, one weaned from the dam at 14 days of age (early-weaned group) and the other weaned at 21 days of age (normally weaned group), as a control. At 8 and 22 weeks of age, animals of both groups were subjected to the plus maze test to assess their anxiety levels. The early-weaned mice showed lower frequency of entry into the open arms of the maze. Although a subsequent isolation-induced aggression test revealed no clear differences between the two groups, when males from each of the two weaning groups were regrouped after 1 month of isolation, the early-weaned animals showed a great number of wounds on their tails and hindquarters. These results suggest that the deprivation of mother-pup interaction from 14 through 21 postnatal days augments anxiety and aggressiveness.

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Crossref · 10.1016/j.physbeh.2003.12.016

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Authors
Kikusui, T., Takeuchi, Y., & Mori, Y.
Affiliations
The University of Tokyo (JP)
Corresponding author
Kikusui, Takefumi
Venue
Physiology & Behavior
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2004-03
Volume
81
Issue
1
Pages
37-42
ISSN
0031-9384 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2063328658
Cited by
103
References
35
Citations by year
2026: 3 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 7 · 2023: 5 · 2022: 8 · 2021: 5 · 2020: 5 · 2019: 6 · 2018: 2 · 2017: 5 · 2016: 4 · 2015: 3 · 2014: 1 · 2013: 3 · 2012: 4
FWCI
7.86
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • Physiology & Behavior (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (14760187)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Neuroendocrine regulation and behavior
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Behavioral Neuroscience › Stress Responses and Cortisol
  • Health Sciences › Veterinary › Small Animals › Animal Behavior and Welfare Studies
Keywords
early weaning, maternal deprivation, anxiety, aggression, postnatal development, mother-pup interaction, elevated plus maze, isolation-induced aggression, adult behavior, mice
MeSH terms
Age Factors, Aggression, Animals, Anxiety, Exploratory Behavior, Female, Male, Maternal Behavior, Maternal Deprivation, Mice, Inbred BALB C, Social Behavior, Social Environment, Weaning, Mice

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