Source Paper
Association between depression during pregnancy and preterm birth: Results from population cohorts and mouse experimental models
Chen S, Yan G, Xie X, Wang Q, Zhong J et al.
PLoS One • 2026
Forced Swimming Test
Objective: To evaluate depressive-like behavior in model animals with good confidence and predictive validity
This is a Forced Swimming Test protocol using Mouse as the model organism. The procedure involves 7 procedural steps, 1 equipment items, 1 materials. Extracted from a 2026 paper published in PLoS One.
Model and subjects
Mouse • C57BL/6 • Female • 6-week-old initially, tested during CUMS modeling period • Not specified for FST specifically
Study window
~12 minutes hands-on
Core workflow
Test timing • Mouse placement • Acclimatization period
Primary readouts
- Immobility time during final 4 minutes of 6-minute test
Key equipment and reagents
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Protocol Steps
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Test timing
Perform forced swimming experiment before modeling and on weekends of 2nd, 4th, and 6th days of modeling
View evidence from paper
“forced swimming experiment was performed before the modeling, and one forced swimming experiment was performed on the weekends of the 2nd, 4th, and 6th days”
Mouse placement
Place mouse in cylindrical glass filled with water for 6 minutes total
View evidence from paper
“placing the mouse in a cylindrical glass filled with water for 6 min”
Acclimatization period
Allow mouse to acclimatize for the first 2 minutes
View evidence from paper
“acclimatizing for the first 2 min”
Recording period
Record immobility time for the remaining 4 minutes
View evidence from paper
“the remaining time for the mouse was recorded for the next 4 min”
Immobility assessment
Judge mouse as immobile when it floats upright with head exposed above water surface
View evidence from paper
“the mouse was judged to be immobile when it floated in an upright position with its head exposed to the surface of the water”
Water change
Change water after each test
View evidence from paper
“The water was changed after each test”
Environmental control
Keep laboratory environment quiet during experiment
View evidence from paper
“the laboratory environment was kept quiet during the experiment”