Elevated Plus Maze for Anxiety Studies - Harvard Apparatus

anxiety & depressionElevated Plus Maze for Anxiety StudiesElevated Plus MazeKey Features• Available in a number of colors• Supplied with two pairs of fully interchangeableperspex walls• Modular structure which allows storage inminimum spaceParameters Measured• Animal position and number of entries into thedifferent sectors (see MAZESOFT-4)• Animal position, speed, distance and more... (seeSMART video-tracking)Components Included• Plus-Maze• MAZESOFT-4 Software and LE3846 Interface for PC(only for LE846 and LE848)• Grey colored walls• Transparent walls (only for LE840)• 2 year warrantyOptions• SMART Video Tracking System (only for LE840and LE842)Elevated Plus MazeThe standard elevated plus-maze is commonly used to assess anxiety-likebehavior in laboratory animals (rats/mice). The maze is usually a crossshaped maze with two open arms and two closed arms, which is elevatedabove the floor.This task exploits the conflict between the innate fear that rodents haveof open areas versus their desire to explore novel environments. Securityis provided by the closed arms whereas the open arms offer exploratoryvalue. When anxious, the natural tendency of rodents is to preferenclosed dark spaces to opened brightly lit spaces. In this context,anxiety-related behavior is measured by the degree to which the rodentavoids the unenclosed arms of the maze.The Panlab/Harvard Apparatus elevated-plus-maze is currently built intwo different configurations (each one available for mice or rat):- Basic maze which can be associated to ourSMART Video-Tracking System- Maze equipped with rows of infrared photocellsconnected to a computer through the LE3846control unit and the Panlab/Harvard ApparatusMAZESOFT-4 software.SpecificationsDimensionsLE840/846 Rats MazeLE842 Mice MazeLE848 PhotoelectricalCells Mice MazeMaterial CompositionGrey Walls Height1000 (W) x 1000 (D) x 660 (H) mm; arms: 100 (W) x450 (D) mm650 (W) x 650 (D) x 550 (H) mm; arms: 60 (W) x295 (D) mm640 (W) x 640 (D) x 550 (H) mm, arms: 60 (W) x 295 (D)mm for normal mice; 370 (W) x 370 (D) x 550 (H) mm,Arms: 60 (W) x 160 (D) mm for very small mice(provided with 2 interchangeable arm dimensions)Methacrylate, aluminum150 mm mice; 500 mm ratsTransparent Walls Height 100 mm ratsPosition Detection IR beams with MAZESOFT-8 or video-tracking withTechniqueSMART/Smart JUNIORPower Supply110V/220V, 50/60Hz(When Applicable)CertificationsCE compliantModel Product Order # Price $LE840 Rats Elevated Plus Maze BH1 76-0074 2,234.00LE842 Mice Elevated Plus Maze BH1 76-0075 1,877.00LE846 Rats Elevated Plus Maze BH1 76-0076 7,893.00with Position Detection andMAZESOFT-4 Software IncludedLE848 Mice Elevated Plus Maze BH1 76-0077 7,595.00with Position Detection andMAZESOFT-4 Software Included.LE843 T Maze Variant for Mice BH1 76-0078 1,133.00LE847 Y Maze Variant for Mice BH1 76-0079 1,102.00OptionsSMART Advanced Video-Tracking Software BH1 76-0028 7,000.00for LE840/842 Standard MazeSMART JUNIOR Standard Video-Tracking Software BH1 76-0029 2,600.00for LE840/LE842CitationsBalerio GN, Aso E, Maldonado R. (2005) Involvement of the opioid system in the effectsinduced by nicotine on anxiety-like behavior in mice. Psychopharmacol. (Berl) in press.Yau JLW et al. (2002) Chronic treatment with the antidepressant amitriptyline preventsimpairments in water maze learning in aging rats. J. Neurosci. 22(4): 1435-1442. (standardmaze, rat, UK)Welberg LAM et al. (2000) Inhibition of 11_-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase, the foeto-placentalbarrier to maternal glucocorticoids, permanently programs amygdala GR mRNA expression andanxiety-like behavior in the offspring. Eur. J. Neurosci. 12(3) : 1047-1054 (rats, UK)44Harvard Apparatus • phone 508.893.8999 • toll free U.S. 800.272.2775 • fax 508.429.5732 • www.harvardapparatus.comPanlab | Harvard Apparatus • Spain +34934190709 • international +34834750697 • fax +34934750699 • www.panlab.com

anxiety & depressionMAZESOFT-4 Software for AutomatedElevated-Plus Mazerelated hardware> Elevated Plus Maze, see page 44software species is hardware specificKey Features• Complete and easy-to-use for standard experiment• Use of photoelectrical cell technology for animalposition detection• Provides integrated parameters (ie: permanencetime in arms, number of entries)• Data reports can be re-organized according tofactors entered in the trial header (ie: animal,groups)Parameters Measured• Number of visits into the zones (or association ofzones)• % of visits into the zones / total number of visits• Total permanence time in each zone (orassociation of zones)• % of permanence time in each zone / totalduration of the trial• Mean time of visit duration into each zone (orassociation of zones)• % of the mean time of visit duration into eachzone / total duration of the trial• Number of entries into each zones (orassociation of zones)• % of the entries into each zone / total number ofentries• Chronological sequence of animal displacementsComponents Included• Software and USB protection key• PCI-7200• Cables and connectors• Instruction manualMazesoft-4 SoftwareMAZESOFT-4 is an easy and complete software for monitoring Elevated-Plus Maze experiments. It has been specially designed to work with thePanlab/Harvard Apparatus Plus Maze apparatus equipped with rows ofinfrared photocells for the automated detection of animal position.MAZESOFT-4 is easy to configure as the user only have to enter thedesired duration of experiment. A “trial header” can be use for recordingall the necessary information associated with the current experiment (codeof trial, experimenter, challenge, dose, subject identification, comments).The Plus Maze is divided into 9 sections: 4 identified arms (2 open and 2closed), each one divided into proximal and distal section and a central area.One experiment can be composed of several trials, depending on thenumber of experimental groups and animals per group used in the study.During each trial, the elapsed time, permanence time in each area andcurrent position of the animal can be visualized in real-time. Full informationabout the animal’s position is also shown graphically on the screen.MAZESOFT-4 provides two type of result presentation: a raw data tableand integrated results. The raw data table initiates with the header of thetrial (name of the experimenter, code identifications, etc.) and continueswith the detailed chronological listing of the animal positions for eachtrial. Integrated results calculated from the raw data table are provided inan additional summary table. For each arm, the information is separatelygiven for the proximal zone, for the distal zone and for both of the zones ofthe arm. Identical information is shown for the base zone in the middle ofthe maze and for the union for opposite arms (closed and open arms).The tables of trials can be re-organized before exportation according toparameters previously entered in the trial header (by subjects, by groups,by experimenter, etc.).Data from the raw data base and from the table of result can be easilyexported in formats widely used to perform complementary analysis(Word, Text, HTML or Excel).This MAZESOFT-4 Software in not available as a separate product. It isincluded with the following systems, BH1 76-0076 Rats Elevated PlusMaze with Position Detection and BH1 76-0077 Mice Elevated Plus Mazewith Position Detection. See facing page for complete descriptions.SpecificationsComputer Requirements 1 GHz processor or higher (CELERON excluded), 128MB of RAM (256 MB recommended) with PCI 32-bitbus master expansion slot available, need installedprinterSoftware Requirements Windows 98, ME, 2000, NT or XP compatibleoperating systemCitationsWelberg LAM et al. (2000) Inhibition of 11_-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase, the foeto-placentalbarrier to maternal glucocorticoids, permanently programs amygdala GR mRNA expression andanxiety-like behavior in the offspring. Eur. J. Neurosci. 12(3) : 1047-1054 (rat, UK)Harvard Apparatus • phone 508.893.8999 • toll free U.S. 800.272.2775 • fax 508.429.5732 • www.harvardapparatus.comPanlab | Harvard Apparatus • Spain +34934190709 • international +34834750697 • fax +34934750699 • www.panlab.com45