Biomaterial Database

Implication of the social function of excessive self-grooming behavior in BTBR T+ltpr3tf/J mice as an idiopathic model of autism. 2021

Hiroyuki Arakawa

Department of Psychology, Tokiwa University, Mito, Ibaraki, Japan; Department of Systems Physiology, University of the Ryukyus, Faculty of Medicine, Nishihara, Okinawa, Japan. Electronic address: harakawa@med.u-ryukyu.ac.jp.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is defined by two core behavioral characteristics, namely, restricted repetitive behaviors and impaired social-communicative functioning. BTBR T+ltpr3tf/J (BTBR) mice provide a valuable animal model for ASD to elucidate the underlying mechanisms of these two behavioral characteristics of ASD. This study examined the social function of excessive grooming behavior in BTBR mice as a phenotype of restricted repetitive behaviors. Compared to the control C57BL/6 J (B6) strain, BTBR mice showed increased self-grooming when placed alone in a test apparatus, and this behavior was even more evident when confronted with a stimulus mouse (either B6 or BTBR) in a three-chamber test apparatus. While B6 mice tended to groom their face/snout region on the empty side of the chamber, BTBR mice showed excessive grooming with frequent transitions among grooming body regions on the side of the chamber containing a social stimulus. Acute systemic injection of buspirone,a serotonin 1A receptor agonist, as an anxiolytic, facilitated approach behavior toward social stimuli in the three-chamber setting in both B6 and BTBR mice. However, this treatment did not affect grooming behavior in B6 mice and significantly enhanced self-grooming in BTBR mice. These behaviors in BTBR mice suggest a potential signaling function of grooming in response to social stimuli, in which bodywide grooming of BTBR mice expressed in the proximity of social opponents may stimulate the release of olfactory (possibly dismissive) signals. Consequently, the putative neural mechanisms underlying excessive grooming may differ from those regulating social approaches that are associated with anxiolytic mechanisms.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008810	Mice, Inbred C57BL	One of the first INBRED MOUSE STRAINS to be sequenced. This strain is commonly used as genetic background for transgenic mouse models. Refractory to many tumors, this strain is also preferred model for studying role of genetic variations in development of diseases.	Mice, C57BL,Mouse, C57BL,Mouse, Inbred C57BL,C57BL Mice,C57BL Mice, Inbred,C57BL Mouse,C57BL Mouse, Inbred,Inbred C57BL Mice,Inbred C57BL Mouse
D008815	Mice, Inbred Strains	Genetically identical individuals developed from brother and sister matings which have been carried out for twenty or more generations, or by parent x offspring matings carried out with certain restrictions. All animals within an inbred strain trace back to a common ancestor in the twentieth generation.	Inbred Mouse Strains,Inbred Strain of Mice,Inbred Strain of Mouse,Inbred Strains of Mice,Mouse, Inbred Strain,Inbred Mouse Strain,Mouse Inbred Strain,Mouse Inbred Strains,Mouse Strain, Inbred,Mouse Strains, Inbred,Strain, Inbred Mouse,Strains, Inbred Mouse
D004195	Disease Models, Animal	Naturally-occurring or experimentally-induced animal diseases with pathological processes analogous to human diseases.	Animal Disease Model,Animal Disease Models,Disease Model, Animal
D006120	Grooming	An animal's cleaning and caring for the body surface. This includes preening, the cleaning and oiling of feathers with the bill or of hair with the tongue.	Preening,Groomings,Preenings
D000067877	Autism Spectrum Disorder	Wide continuum of associated cognitive and neurobehavioral disorders, including, but not limited to, three core-defining features: impairments in socialization, impairments in verbal and nonverbal communication, and restricted and repetitive patterns of behaviors. (from DSM-V)	Autistic Spectrum Disorder,Autism Spectrum Disorders,Autistic Spectrum Disorders,Disorder, Autistic Spectrum
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D001321	Autistic Disorder	A disorder beginning in childhood. It is marked by the presence of markedly abnormal or impaired development in social interaction and communication and a markedly restricted repertoire of activity and interest. Manifestations of the disorder vary greatly depending on the developmental level and chronological age of the individual. (DSM-V)	Autism, Infantile,Kanner's Syndrome,Autism,Autism, Early Infantile,Disorder, Autistic,Disorders, Autistic,Early Infantile Autism,Infantile Autism,Infantile Autism, Early,Kanner Syndrome,Kanners Syndrome
D012919	Social Behavior	Any behavior caused by or affecting another individual or group usually of the same species.	Sociality,Behavior, Social,Behaviors, Social,Social Behaviors
D051379	Mice	The common name for the genus Mus.	Mice, House,Mus,Mus musculus,Mice, Laboratory,Mouse,Mouse, House,Mouse, Laboratory,Mouse, Swiss,Mus domesticus,Mus musculus domesticus,Swiss Mice,House Mice,House Mouse,Laboratory Mice,Laboratory Mouse,Mice, Swiss,Swiss Mouse,domesticus, Mus musculus