Affiliations: The Psychiatric Institute, Department of Psychiatry,
University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
Note: [] Corresponding author: Hari Manev, M.D., Ph.D., The Psychiatric
Institute, Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, 1601
West Taylor Street, MC/912, Chicago, IL 60612, USA. Tel.: +1 312 413 4558; Fax:
+1 312 413 4569; E-mail: HManev@psych.uic.edu
Abstract: {\it Purpose:} 5-Lipoxygenase (5LOX) is an enzyme critical for
leukotriene synthesis from arachidonic acid. In addition to its role in
peripheral inflammation, this enzyme is also expressed in the brain but its
functional role in the central nervous system is poorly understood. An
upregulated expression of brain 5LOX, for example during aging and in multiple
sclerosis, has been associated with increased vulnerability to
neurodegeneration. Moreover, the 5LOX pathway has been associated with the
neurotoxicity of the prion peptide. 5LOX-deficient mice [5LOX(-);
B6129S$^{Alox5tm1Fun}$] and their controls (B6129SF2/J) have not been
behaviorally characterized. {\it Methods:} The following behavioral tests were used for
behavioral characterization of 5LOX(-) mice: elevated plus-maze, marble
burying, locomotor activity, rota-road, and the spontaneous alternations in
T-maze. {\it Results:} We found that in an elevated plus-maze, 5LOX(-) mice
spent a shorter time in the "safe" closed arms, a longer time in the
"anxiogenic" open arms, and entered the open arms more frequently. They also
covered fewer marbles in the marble-burying anxiety test. No difference was
observed between 5LOX(-) and 5LOX(+) mice in other tests. {\it Conclusion:} These results indicate that 5LOX(-) mice are less
prone to anxiety and point to a possible role for 5LOX in affective behaviors.
We propose that creating congenic 5LOX(-) mice by backcrossing into inbred
strains would provide additional tools to further elucidate this putative
role.
