Comportamento espontâneo de Mus musculus (Linnaeus, 1758) (Mammalia, Muridae) submetidos à administração única de topiramato no teste da arena em campo aberto

Abstract

The topiramate (TPM) is a relatively new drug and was originally used for the treatment of epilepsy. More recently entered in the therapeutic of migraine and various clinical conditions including some behavioral disorders. It is a known GABAergic and antiglutamatergic drug and modifies the effects of dopamine in the central nervous system and can thus change the levels of anxiety and the locomotor activity. This study evaluates its acute effect on the spontaneous behavior of Swiss mice in the open field arena test managing single intraperitoneal dose (10 mg/kg), emphasizing locomotor activity and anxiety. Twenty animals were divided into 2 groups, the treated group received TPM and the control saline. After 30 minutes the open field test was applied observing several variables that address locomotion and anxiety such as number of exploited squares, time of immobility, average scalar speed, frequencies and times of rearing and grooming, and also times of stay in the central area and in the periphery of apparatus by the animals. Results showed a considerable increase in the number of exploited squares and in the average scalar speed in the treated group. The times of immobility were virtually the same between the groups, as well as the times of stay in the central area and in the periphery. The frequency and time of rearing were slightly higher in the control group, contrary to what happened with the grooming. In conclusion, the administration of TPM considerably increased the spontaneous locomotor activity of the animals showed by a significant increase in the number of exploited squares and in the average scalar speed (p < 0.1). There was no apparent anxiolytic effect, as no significant difference occurred between the times of stay in the central area and in the periphery of the apparatus, as well as between the times of immobility (p > 0.1). There was no significant difference between the frequencies and the times of rearing and grooming (p > 0.1).