Abstract
Animals with a drunken gait were discovered during maintenance of the C57BL/6 polycystic kidney disease mouse (B6-cpk) strain. Their abnormal behavior included staggering and stumbling of the hind legs (wobble (wob)), and this was confirmed by observing sudden falls on their sides. These mice are bred by us and have been named B6-wob/takahashi (tentative (t)). The objective of this study was to evaluate the behavioral abnormalities of B6-wob/t and identify the causes. We performed behavioral analysis of B6-wob/t based on the open field activity, foot print, rotarod, beam walking, hanging and grip strength, and pole tests. As a result, frequencies of reverse backward movement and pivoting in the open field activity were significantly (p<0.05∼0.001) increased in B6-wob/t (n=5) in comparison with B6(n=10). On the other hand, a significant reduction in the frequencies of rearing, preening and grooming (p<0.05∼0.001) was recognized. Duration of stay on the rod was significantly shorter (p<0.001) in B6 (600±0.0 sec.) in comparison with B6-wob/t (3.42±1.0 sec.) in the results of rotating rod tests. When all organs were pathologically investigated, cerebellar atrophy was macroscopically observed and the results suggested the central role of motion control as the major cause of the ataxic symptoms in B6-wob/t. This is the first report on B6-wob/t.
