MK-801, a noncompetitive NMDA receptor antagonist, elicits circling behavior in the genetically inbred Balb/c mouse strain

Abstract

The Balb/c mouse is behaviorally hypersensitive to effects of MK-801 (dizocilpine), a noncompetitive NMDA receptor antagonist, and displays impaired sociability. In the current investigation, MK-801-elicited circling behavior in the genetically inbred Balb/c mouse strain that was either not or only minimally observed in similarly treated outbred Swiss-Webster mice. The ability of compounds to attenuate the intensity of MK-801-elicited circling behavior in the Balb/c mouse strain may serve as a preclinical screening paradigm for identifying effective NMDA receptor agonist interventions in the intact animal; ideally, these compounds would have therapeutic value in neuropsychiatric disorders associated with impaired sociability, such as schizophrenia and autism spectrum disorders (ASD).