1、 WKY rats
WKY rats are sensitive to various stimuli and exhibit behavioral deficits in several general behavioral tests. In long-term dark environments, their autonomous activities are significantly shortened and their response to light is slow, similar to that of human depression patients. The secretion of adrenocorticotropic hormone, cortisol, and thyroid hormone releasing hormone in the body is disrupted by the circadian rhythm. Compared with patients with depression, WKY rats are not only a better genetic behavior model for depression, but also an animal model for studying resistance to antidepressants and the relationship between depression and sleep disorders.
2、 FSL rats
FSL (flicker resistant line) rats have poor adaptability, with lower levels of 5-HT receptors at the cortical edge and neuropeptides in the hippocampus. But cholinergic receptors are overactive and sensitive to cholinergic agonists, similar to the neurobiological changes in depression. This species of animal has behavioral characteristics of depression, and long-term use of antidepressants can correct the above behavioral abnormalities, which can be used for cholinergic hypothesis research on depression.
3、 HDS rats
HDS (high DPAT sensitive) rats are a selective targeted breeding depression gene model that is highly sensitive to 5-HT1A receptor agonists. The control animal with opposite characteristics is random DPAT sensitive (RDS) rats, both of which can be used for depression 5-HT receptor hypothesis research.
4、 FH rats
FH (fawn hooked) rats prefer to consume large amounts of ethanol and grow slowly, and their ethanol intake can be used as an indicator for antidepressant experiments. Its basal corticosterone levels are high and insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-1) levels are low, indicating abnormal functional activity of the HPA and HSM axes in FH rats, which is commonly used for screening antidepressant drugs.
5、 SwLo rats
The model rats showed less activity, weakened DA nerve function, and more depressive like behaviors, such as reduced immobility time in open field testing, FST, and reduced activity in the feeding cage. Pharmacological research results indicate that SwLo (swing low active model) rats can simulate atypical depression.
6、 TMD rats
The activity of 5-HT receptors in the brain of TMD (Tryon maze dull) rats is low, showing symptoms such as delayed response, reduced activity, and lack of appetite, similar to those of depression patients. The decrease in 5-HT receptor levels in the brains of TMD rats may be directly related to the symptoms it presents. This model can be used to study the causes of depression.
7、 Transgenic mouse model with glucocorticoid receptor gene mutation
Depression is associated with excessive excitation of the HPA axis system, which may be related to impaired glucocorticoid signaling, and transgenic mice with glucocorticoid receptor gene mutations are genetically modified to have glucocorticoid receptor defects. The modeling method of simulating human induced depressive episodes under stress, using transgenic mice with glucocorticoid receptor gene mutations combined with environmental stress, has broad development prospects.