BEHAVIORAL AND ENDOCRINE RESPONSES TO THE EMOTIONAL-STRESS IN RATS STRAINS SELECTED FOR DIVERGENT ACQUISITION OF ACTIVE-AVOIDANCE

Female rats of two strains selected for high (Koltushi high avoidance, KHA) and low (Koltushi low avoidance, KLA) acquisition of active avoi dance of shock in a two-way shuttle-box were exposed to emotional stre ss accompanied by pain and without it. Emotional stress with pain (ele ctrical paw stimulation) had no effects on behavioural and endocrine r esponses. It was found out that behaviour of KHA rats with their activ e behavioural strategy was not affected by the emotional stress withou t pain, In contrast, KLA rats demonstrated enhanced locomotion and exp loratory activity, decreased grooming and anxiety. There were no chang es in endocrine stress responses. Our findings suggest putative benefi cient effect of emotional stress on the animals with passive behaviour al strategy.