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Rats with congestive heart failure have increased anxiety
Author(s) -
Henze Marcus P,
Eckert Laurie,
Tiniakov Ruslan L,
Henderson Kyle,
Barakat John,
Samarel Allen,
Scrogin Karie E
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.22.1_supplement.946.9
Subject(s) - heart failure , medicine , cardiology , elevated plus maze , ejection fraction , ligation , anxiety , endocrinology , psychiatry
Sham rats (n=7) and rats that developed congestive heart failure (CHF) 7 weeks after left coronary‐artery ligation (CAL, n=5) were exposed to an elevated plus maze (EPM) to determine anxiety. Rats subjected to CAL went on to develop congestive heart failure (CHF), as determined by elevated left ventricular pressure (29.7 ± 2.7 vs. 6.5 ± 2.1 mmHg, P <0.01), decreased fractional shortening (16.9 ± 2.7 vs. 48.1 ± 3.1%, P <0.01), and elevated heart‐ (5.4 ± 0.2 vs. 3.3 ± 0.1 g/kg, P <0.01) and lung/body weight ratios (13.5 ± 0.4 vs. 5.1 ± 0.2 g/kg, P <0.01). All CHF rats chose to enter an open arm of the EPM first, compared with one sham rat (100% vs. 14%, P <0.025). In addition, CHF rats spent more time in the open arm (36 ± 15 vs. 5 ± 2%, P <0.01). Entry into open arms was increased in CHF rats (4.2 ± 1.2 vs 1.0 ± 0.4 arm entries, P <0.01). Two CHF rats repeatedly jumped from the open arm, while no sham animals jumped from the apparatus (40 vs. 0%, P =0.067). Though these results are suggestive of reduced anxiety based on validation studies of the EPM test, previous studies show that adult rats exposed to sporadic stress during adolescents show increased activity in the open arm of the EPM and jump from the apparatus suggestive of escape behaviors (Pohl, J, 2007). Research suggests that increased activity in the open arm can represent a prelude to escape behavior in relatively severe anxiety. As such, the paradoxical increased open arm activity coupled with purposeful jumps among CHF rats may represent a more severe form of anxiety than that normally characterized by reduced open arm activity in the EPM. Supported by AHA 507025.