Cholinergic Modulation of Restraint Stress Induced Neurobehavioral Alterations in Mice

The involvement of the cholinergic system in restraint stress induced neurobehavioral alterations was investigated in rodents using the hole board, elevated plus maze, the open field and the light and dark box tests. Restraint stress (3h) reduced significantly (p<0.05) the number of entries and time spent in the open arm, number of head dips in the hole board test , grooming and rearing frequencies and locomotion activity compared with the control group. The time spent in the lit chamber of the light/dark board test was also reduced. Pre-treatment with atropine (2mg/kg) before the restraint procedure significantly (p<0.05) reversed all these changes induced by restraint stress. These results suggest that a cholinergic mechanism may be involved in restraint stress induced neurobehavioral alterations.