Behavioral and adrenocortical responses to open‐field test in rats selected for reduced aggressiveness toward humans
Abstract
Effects of domestication of Norway rats on their open-field behavior and the response of the pituitary-adrenal system were studied by comparing domesticated and wild gray rats that had been selected for 42 generations for reduction and maintenance of aggressive behavior toward humans. Basal corticosterone level and adrenal weight were also determined at the advanced selection. No significant differences in behavior (with the exception of rearing number) and corticosterone level were found between domesticated and wild rats on the first day of testing. The second encounter with a novel situation revealed differences in both behavioral and hormonal responses between 2 compared rat lines. The results obtained are considered from the viewpoint of their similarity to, or difference from, the data available in the literature on comparison of laboratory and wild rats in the open-field test. The difference between the laboratory rats and those selected by us for reduced aggressiveness seems to be due to the fact that breeding at this stage is done not only for reduced aggressiveness, but also for increased exploratory activity.
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After 42 generations of selection in Belyaev's rat lines, tame rats scored 2.95 and aggressive rats scored -2.9 on a tameness scale from -5 to 5.
“The assessment of their behavior in this test after 42 generations of selection gave strong results-on a scale ranging from -5 (most aggressive) to 5 (most tame) rats from tame line obtained 2.95 points, while aggressive line scored -2.9.39”
From Ecological validity of social interaction tests in rats and mice (2019) · cites this paper as [39]
Tame rats showed increased locomotor activity and lower basal plasma corticosterone levels compared with the aggressive line.
“When tested in an open field test, tame rats showed increased locomotor activity and lower basal plasma corticosterone level as compared with the aggressive line.39”
From Ecological validity of social interaction tests in rats and mice (2019) · cites this paper as [39]
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- Authors
- PLYUSNINA, I., & OSKINA, I.
- Affiliations
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics (RU)
- Venue
- Physiology & Behavior
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 1997-03
- Volume
- 61
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 381-385
- ISSN
- 0031-9384 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2037551233
- Cited by
- 98
- References
- 22
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 1 · 2024: 5 · 2023: 7 · 2022: 4 · 2021: 4 · 2020: 4 · 2019: 3 · 2018: 6 · 2017: 8 · 2016: 10 · 2015: 5 · 2014: 5 · 2013: 3 · 2012: 2
- FWCI
- 0.40
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Physiology & Behavior (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Behavioral Neuroscience › Stress Responses and Cortisol
- Health Sciences › Veterinary › Small Animals › Animal Behavior and Welfare Studies
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics › Animal Behavior and Reproduction
- Keywords
- Rattus norvegicus, domestication, open field test, pituitary-adrenal axis, corticosterone, adrenal weight, exploratory activity, behavioral selection, stress response
- MeSH terms
- Adrenal Cortex, Adrenal Glands, Aggression, Animals, Animals, Domestic, Animals, Wild, Behavior, Animal, Corticosterone, Defecation, Grooming, Humans, Male, Motor Activity, Organ Size, Rats
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