Behavioral field analysis in two strains of rats in a conditioned defensive burying paradigm

Two strains of rats (albino Wistar and hooded PVG/c) were exposed to a conditioned defensive burying paradigm that consisted of placing rats in a test chamber with bedding material on the floor, shocking them with a shock prod, and recording the time each rat spent in burying responses toward the prod. Various behaviors other than burying (freezing, grooming/paw licking) were observed by a time-sampling procedure during the control, conditioning, and extinction sessions, each of which was 15 min in duration. Wistar rats generally showed behavioral inhibition, as evidenced by less burying, lower exploratory and ambulatory behavior, and higher freezing behavior. PVG/c rats spent significantly more time engaged in burying and accumulated more bedding material in the conditioning session than did the Wistar rats. No significant differences between the two strains of rats were observed during the extinction session in terms of these measurements. The results indicate that Wistar rats have a greater tendency to freeze when coping with the noxious stimulus in a conditioned defensive burying paradigm, whereas the dominant coping style for PVG/c rats is defensive burying.