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Comparative Study
. 2008 Mar;89(1):17-22.
doi: 10.1016/j.pbb.2007.10.017. Epub 2007 Nov 6.

Differences in performance between Sprague-Dawley and Fischer 344 rats in positive reinforcement tasks

Jesse S Rodriguez  1 , Sherin Y Boctor, Clyde F Phelix, Joe L Martinez Jr
Affiliations
Comparative Study

Differences in performance between Sprague-Dawley and Fischer 344 rats in positive reinforcement tasks

Jesse S Rodriguez et al. Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 2008 Mar.

Abstract

This experimental investigation tested two different strains of rat, Sprague-Dawley (SD) and Fischer 344 (F344), in their ability to learn lever pressing for food (autoshaping) or intracranial self-administration (ICSA) of dextroamphetamine (AMPH) into the nucleus accumbens (NAcc). Additionally, a unique method of intracranial drug delivery was utilized, via reverse dialysis, by the use of a microdiaylsis probe. The experiments revealed definite behavioral differences between SD and F344 animals. The autoshaping data indicated that SD rats, on average, acquired lever pressing for food in fewer training days than F344 rats. Also, the ICSA experiment revealed that SD rats self-administered AMPH at a 30 mug/mul concentration. Lever pressing was significantly greater in those SD rats receiving AMPH than in the F344 drug group. Furthermore, the F344 rats never acquired lever pressing for intra-NAcc delivery of AMPH under our testing regime. These data reveal differences in performance of positively reinforced operant tasks between the inbred F344 rats as compared to the outbred SD strain.

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Conflict of interest statement

There is no conflict of interest for all involved in this manuscript preparation.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Comparison between Sprague–Dawley (SD) and Fischer 344 (F344) rats in responding for food reinforcement revealed a significant effect of strain and days of training. Student Newman–Keuls posthoc analysis showed significantly more lever pressing in the SD than the F344 strain on days 2, 3, 4, and 5 (*p< 0.001). SD rats which attained lever pressing criterion prior to day 5 were included in the statistical analysis as a mean group/day substitution performance score for days 4 and 5 (total of 2 observations for day 4 and 9 observations for day 5).
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Comparison of SD and F344 AMPH self-administering groups revealed a significant main effect of strain (F(1,7) =14.029; p =0.007) and a significant interaction between strains and days (p=0.001). Student Newman–Keuls posthoc analysis showed significantly more lever pressing for AMPH by SD than by F344 rats on days 4, 6, 7, and 8 (*p< 0.05). ICSA=intracranial self-administration, AMPH=amphetamine, NAcc=nucleus accumbens, SD=Sprague–Dawley, F344=Fischer 344.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Comparison between F344 and SD rats’ average number of active (Ac) and inactive (Inac) lever presses during the intertrial interval revealed no significant effect of strain, by t-test (p=0.40 and p=0.08, respectively).
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
A frontal view of a coronal section, redrawn from the 1998 rat brain atlas of Paxinos and Watson, showing probe locations (B1.6 denotes +1.6 mm anterior to bregma). The black bars represent the locations of the 2-mm dialysis tips, within the NAcc, for all animals showing the lateral variations with no anterior/ posterior differences. Histological examination showed that all probes lay within these positions. No animals were excluded for incorrect probe placement.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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