Popik, P. | Search bioRxiv

bioRxiv2024

Deep Learning Algorithms Reveal Increased Social Activity of Rats at the Start of Evening Twilight

1.The rapid decrease of light intensity is a potent and natural stimulus of rats activity. The nature of this activity, in that, the character of the social behavior and the composition of concomitant ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) is unknown. This study, using deep learning algorithms, sought to assess the social life of rats pairs kept in the semi-natural conditions at the two twilight periods. Over six days, animals were video and audio recorded during the morning and the evening sessions lasting for 20-minutes each. The videos were used to train and use the DeepLabCut neural network examining animals movement in space and time. Numerical data generated by DeepLabCut were subjected to the Simple Behavioral Analysis (SimBA) toolkit, to build models of 11 distinct social and non-social behaviors. DeepSqueak toolkit was used to examine USVs. Deep learning algorithms revealed lights-off induced increases of fighting, mounting, crawling, and rearing behaviors, as well as of 22-kHz alarm calls and 50-kHz flat and short, but not frequency modulated calls. In contrast, lights-on stimulus increased the general activity, as well as adjacent lying (huddling), anogenital sniffing and rearing behaviors. The animals adapted to the housing conditions showing decreased ultrasonic calls, as well as of grooming and rearing behaviors, but not fighting. Present study shows lights-off induced increase of aggressive behavior but fail to demonstrate an increase in the positive affect defined by the hedonic USVs. We further confirm and extend the utility of deep learning algorithms in analyzing rat social behavior and ultrasonic vocalizations. Highlights- Rats display a natural increase in activity induced by lights-off stimulus - Deep learning algorithms allow for rapid characterization of social behavior and ultrasonic calls - The darkness increased aggressive behavior, 22-kHz alarm calls and 50-kHz flat and short, but not frequency modulated calls

animal behavior and cognition↗

bioRxiv2023

Pro-social and pro-cognitive effects of LIT-001, a novel oxytocin receptor agonist in a neurodevelopmental model of schizophrenia.

Social and cognitive dysfunctions are the most persistent symptoms of schizophrenia. Since oxytocin (OXT) is known to play a role in social functions and modulates cognitive processes, we investigated the effects of a novel, nonpeptide, selective OXT receptor agonist, LIT-001, in a neurodevelopmental model of schizophrenia. Administration of methylazoxymethanol acetate (MAM; 22 mg/kg) on the 17th day of pregnancy is known to cause developmental disturbances of the brain, which lead to schizophrenia-like symptomatology in the offspring. Here, we examined the effects of acutely administered LIT-001 (1, 3, and 10 mg/kg) in MAM-exposed males and females on social behaviour, communication and cognition. We report that MAM-treated adult male and female rats displayed reduced social behaviour, ultrasonic communication and novel object recognition test performance. LIT-001 partially reversed these deficits, increasing the total social interaction time and the number of happy 50 kHz ultrasonic calls in male rats. The compound ameliorated MAM-induced deficits in object discrimination in both sexes. Present results confirm the pro-social activity of LIT-001 and demonstrate its pro-cognitive effects following acute administration.

animal behavior and cognition↗