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Animal model of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

Animal model of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

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Post-traumatic stress disorder
Psychiatric & neurological disease models

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Model Introduction

Model Introduction

Platform Service Advantages

Platform Service Advantages

Model Construction

Model Construction

Model Evaluation

Model Evaluation

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Post-traumatic stress disorder

Introduction to the PTSD Mouse Model

Animal models of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can replicate the abnormal psychological states observed in humans following severe trauma, faithfully reproducing the pathological changes induced by various external stressors. These model animals exhibit hallmark clinical symptoms, including recurrent trauma‑related reexperiencing, active avoidance of novel environments and stimuli, and blunted emotional responsiveness, alongside heightened hyperarousal and increased emotional lability. Such models accurately recapitulate the core features of PTSD and are well suited for investigating underlying pathophysiological mechanisms and for drug‑development studies.

Advantages of Aniphe BioLab’s PTSD Mouse Model Platform Services

The platform boasts mature, robust modeling techniques and a standardized experimental framework, providing comprehensive support for research on post-traumatic stress disorder and drug development.

Comprehensive model coverage

The model exhibits strong stability.

It highly replicates core clinical symptoms, exhibits excellent reproducibility in behavioral and physiological phenotypes, and yields reliable experimental data.

Standardization of the modeling process

Standardized Quality Control

A unified experimental protocol was followed throughout, with strict control of modeling conditions to minimize intergroup variability.

Multidimensional Evaluation System

The evaluation system has been improved.

Complemented by multidimensional behavioral, physiological, and histological assessments, the model’s status is evaluated comprehensively.

Adaptable to multi-cycle studies

Customized services

Modeling parameters and sampling time points can be adjusted to meet experimental requirements, making it compatible with a wide range of research protocols.

Standardization of Data Delivery

Efficient Delivery

A dedicated team swiftly completes model development and sample processing, ensuring efficient project progress.

Modeling cycle

1–2 weeks

1  Laboratory animals

Mice and rats of SPF grade

1  Positive drug

Studies have shown that commonly used antidepressant and anxiolytic agents, such as fluoxetine, paroxetine, and sertraline, serve as positive control drugs in PTSD animal models and can effectively ameliorate abnormal behavioral and emotional states in these animals.

1  Application areas

This model is widely employed in research on the molecular and neural circuit mechanisms underlying post-traumatic stress disorder, and is well suited for screening novel psychiatric drugs, evaluating drug efficacy and toxicology, and validating therapeutic targets. It can also be used to assess the effectiveness of non-pharmacological interventions, such as psychological therapies and physical treatments, thereby supporting preclinical basic research on mental disorders and end-to-end drug development.

Construction of an Animal Model of PTSD

Modeling process:

They are mainly categorized into the electrical stimulation model and the enhanced predation stress model.

Electrical stimulation hippocampal model in rats

Rats were anesthetized and immobilized. The hippocampal CA1 region was localized using a brain atlas, and a burr hole was drilled under sterile surgical conditions to implant an electrode, which was secured with dental cement. Postoperatively, antibiotics were administered daily for five consecutive days to prevent infection. After one week of recovery, a five-day continuous electrical stimulation protocol was performed to establish the experimental model.

Model Evaluation

Through various stimuli, animals exhibit a range of abnormal psychological and behavioral manifestations, including marked and prolonged alterations in activity patterns, heightened vigilance, panic‑induced behaviors, diminished environmental adaptability, and heightened avoidance–escape responses.

Behavioral Observation: Observe changes in the animals’ emotional and behavioral responses at 1 day, 1 week, and 1 month after the last electrical stimulation was discontinued.

Field activity: The rat is gently placed in the center of the open-field observation chamber (a 60 cm × 60 cm × 60 cm wooden box without a lid, with the floor divided into 36 equal squares by ink lines), and its activity is observed for 30 seconds. Scoring criteria: if more than half of the rat’s body moves from its current square into an adjacent square, 1 point is awarded; if the rat assumes a hind-limb‑supported standing posture, 1 point is awarded; the total score is the sum of these two components.

Refusal-to-Prisoner Reactivity: Gently grasp the rat with a glove that the animal has never encountered, and observe its response.

Scoring criteria: 0: Very easy to capture the animal; 1: Scream or avoid; 2: Scream and avoid; 3: Escape; 4: Escape and scream; 5: Bite or attempt to bite the glove; 6: Actively leap to attack.

Observation of the startle response: During brief exposure to high-frequency metallic tones, animals in the control group exhibited a mild startle response lasting 1–3 seconds; after repeated stimulation three or more times, they quickly adapted. In contrast, animals in the electrical stimulation group displayed a pronounced startle response when exposed to the same high-frequency metallic tones within one month after the electrical stimulation ceased, characterized by a generalized startle reflex with increased amplitude and prolonged duration (5–10 seconds). They also engaged in various anxiety‑like behaviors indicative of hiding and avoidance, such as digging, burying their heads, and seeking darker environments. Moreover, their habituation to the stimulus was markedly delayed; even after 6–10 repeated exposures, a robust startle response persisted.

Emotional Behavior Observation: Within one month after the cessation of electrical stimulation, the electrical stimulation group exhibited significantly reduced open-field activity compared with the control group, while their response to capture was markedly enhanced.

Enhancing Predation Stress: The rat was placed in a small cage within the predator‑stress experimental chamber. Simultaneously with the buzzer’s activation, a hungry cat was introduced into the chamber, allowing the cat and rat to engage in non‑harmful physical contact for 10 minutes before the cat was removed. One week after the initial predator‑stress exposure, the procedure was repeated; however, no cat was introduced following the buzzer, and the rat was left undisturbed in the experimental cage for 5 minutes. Behavioral changes were observed on the third day, at two weeks, and at one month post‑stress.