Source Paper
Adult hippocampal neurogenesis buffers stress responses and depressive behaviour
Jason S. Snyder, Amélie Soumier, Michelle Brewer, James Pickel, Heather A. Cameron
Nature • 2011
Source Paper
Jason S. Snyder, Amélie Soumier, Michelle Brewer, James Pickel, Heather A. Cameron
Nature • 2011
Objective: Assess anxiety-like responses in mice exposed to a novel environment using the Novelty Suppressed Feeding test
This is a Novelty Suppressed Feeding Test protocol using mouse as the model organism. The procedure involves 10 procedural steps, 5 equipment items, 6 materials. Extracted from a 2011 paper published in Nature.
Model and subjects
mouse • C57Bl/6:CD-1 mixed background, with transgenic v-WT and v-TK mice • male • 8 weeks at treatment start; tested at various timepoints (12 weeks treatment duration for behavior) • Not specified • Not specified
Study window
~19 week study window | ~52.3 hours hands-on
Core workflow
Animal treatment initiation • Irradiation of control mice • Dexamethasone suppression test preparation
Primary readouts
Key equipment and reagents
Verified items
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Direct vendor links
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Begin valganciclovir treatment of transgenic v-WT and v-TK mice at 8 weeks of age
Note: Different treatment durations used for different experimental cohorts (8 weeks for dexamethasone, 10-19 weeks for endocrine, 12 weeks for behavior, 4 weeks for histology)
“Male v-WT and v-TK mice were treated with valganciclovir for 8 weeks (dexamethasone experiment), 10-19 weeks (endocrine), 12 weeks (behavior) or 4 weeks (histology), beginning at 8 weeks of age”
Irradiate male C57Bl/6 mice under pentobarbital anesthesia
Note: Control group; tested 9 weeks after irradiation
“Male C57Bl/6 mice were irradiated under pentobarbital anesthesia, as described previously, and tested 9 weeks later”
Inject dexamethasone (50 µg/kg in propylene glycol) or vehicle 90 minutes prior to restraint stress
Note: Dexamethasone suppression test to assess HPA axis function
“For the dexamethasone suppression test, dexamethasone (Sigma; 50 µg/kg in propylene glycol) or vehicle were injected 90 min prior to restraint”
Apply restraint stress to mice for 10 minutes
Note: Used for dexamethasone suppression test and as a stressor condition
“blood was sampled immediately following 10 min restraint”
Obtain submandibular blood samples from mice under different conditions: home cage, novel box exploration, restraint, or isoflurane exposure
Note: Samples collected directly from home cage or after various stressor exposures
“Serum corticosterone was measured by radioimmunoassay (MP Biomedicals) from submandibular blood samples obtained directly from the home cage condition or after exploration of a novel box, restraint, or isoflurane exposure”
Measure serum corticosterone levels using radioimmunoassay
Note: Performed by MP Biomedicals
“Serum corticosterone was measured by radioimmunoassay (MP Biomedicals)”
Conduct NSF test on different cohorts of mice following 30 minutes of restraint or directly from home cage
Note: Different cohorts tested in NSF test, elevated plus maze, forced swim test, and sucrose preference test
“Behavioral tests were performed following 30 min of restraint or directly from the home cage. Different cohorts of mice were tested in the NSF test, elevated plus maze, forced swim test and sucrose preference test as previously described”
Administer BrdU to mice 6 weeks prior to sacrifice (for PVN analysis) or 24 hours prior to sacrifice
Note: Timing varies depending on brain region being analyzed
“For immunohistochemical analyses, mice were given BrdU 6 weeks (for PVN analysis) or 24 hours prior to sacrifice”
Prepare brain sections and perform immunostaining for BrdU-labeled cells
Note: Performed as previously described
“brain sections were immunostained as previously described, and labeled cells were counted stereologically”
Count BrdU-labeled cells stereologically in brain sections
Note: Quantification of cell proliferation in specific brain regions
“labeled cells were counted stereologically”
This section explains what the experiment is doing, which readouts matter, what the data artifacts usually look like, and how the analysis should flow from raw capture to reported result.
Assess anxiety-like responses in mice exposed to a novel environment using the Novelty Suppressed Feeding test
Objective
Assess anxiety-like responses in mice exposed to a novel environment using the Novelty Suppressed Feeding test
Subjects
From papermouse • C57Bl/6:CD-1 mixed background, with transgenic v-WT and v-TK mice • male • 8 weeks at treatment start; tested at various timepoints (12 weeks treatment duration for behavior) • Not specified
Sample count
From paperNot specified
Cohort notes
From paperTransgenic mice expressing HSV-TK under the GFAP promoter; different cohorts tested in different behavioral tests
Animal treatment initiation (12 weeks for behavioral testing cohort)
Irradiation of control mice (Not specified)
Dexamethasone suppression test preparation (90 minutes before restraint)
Restraint stress application (10 minutes)
Latency to feed in novel environment (NSF test)
From paperStatistical analyses were performed by t-test, log-rank test, or ANOVA with Fisher's LSD test for post hoc comparisons.
Artifact type
Endpoint measurements summarized by group or timepoint
Comparison focus
Compare endpoint magnitude between groups, timepoints, or both
Anxiety-like responses in novel box
From paperStatistical analyses were performed by t-test, log-rank test, or ANOVA with Fisher's LSD test for post hoc comparisons.
Artifact type
Endpoint measurements summarized by group or timepoint
Comparison focus
Compare endpoint magnitude between groups, timepoints, or both
Serum corticosterone levels under various conditions
From paperStatistical analyses were performed by t-test, log-rank test, or ANOVA with Fisher's LSD test for post hoc comparisons.
Artifact type
Endpoint measurements summarized by group or timepoint
Comparison focus
Compare endpoint magnitude between groups, timepoints, or both
HPA axis suppression by dexamethasone
From paperStatistical analyses were performed by t-test, log-rank test, or ANOVA with Fisher's LSD test for post hoc comparisons.
Artifact type
Endpoint measurements summarized by group or timepoint
Comparison focus
Compare endpoint magnitude between groups, timepoints, or both
Latency to feed in novel environment (NSF test)
From paperRaw artifact
Per-sample or per-animal endpoint measurements collected during the experiment
Processed artifact
Structured table with cleaned measurements ready for comparison
Final reported form
Summary statistics and between-group or across-timepoint comparisons
Anxiety-like responses in novel box
From paperRaw artifact
Per-sample or per-animal endpoint measurements collected during the experiment
Processed artifact
Structured table with cleaned measurements ready for comparison
Final reported form
Summary statistics and between-group or across-timepoint comparisons
Serum corticosterone levels under various conditions
From paperRaw artifact
Per-sample or per-animal endpoint measurements collected during the experiment
Processed artifact
Structured table with cleaned measurements ready for comparison
Final reported form
Summary statistics and between-group or across-timepoint comparisons
HPA axis suppression by dexamethasone
From paperRaw artifact
Per-sample or per-animal endpoint measurements collected during the experiment
Processed artifact
Structured table with cleaned measurements ready for comparison
Final reported form
Summary statistics and between-group or across-timepoint comparisons
Acquisition
Collect raw experimental outputs with enough metadata to preserve sample identity, condition, and timing.
Preprocessing / cleaning
Statistical analyses were performed by t-test, log-rank test, or ANOVA with Fisher's LSD test for post hoc comparisons.
Scoring or quantification
Quantify the primary readouts for this experiment: Latency to feed in novel environment (NSF test); Anxiety-like responses in novel box; Serum corticosterone levels under various conditions; HPA axis suppression by dexamethasone.
Statistical comparison
Statistical method not yet structured for this page.
Reporting output
Report representative outputs alongside summary comparisons for Latency to feed in novel environment (NSF test), Anxiety-like responses in novel box, Serum corticosterone levels under various conditions, HPA axis suppression by dexamethasone.
Source links and direct wording from the methods section for validation and deeper review.
Citation
Jason S. Snyder et al. (2011). Adult hippocampal neurogenesis buffers stress responses and depressive behaviour. Nature
Animal treatment initiation • Protocol step
“Male v-WT and v-TK mice were treated with valganciclovir for 8 weeks (dexamethasone experiment), 10-19 weeks (endocrine), 12 weeks (behavior) or 4 weeks (histology), beginning at 8 weeks of age”
Irradiation of control mice • Protocol step
“Male C57Bl/6 mice were irradiated under pentobarbital anesthesia, as described previously, and tested 9 weeks later”
Dexamethasone suppression test preparation • Protocol step
“For the dexamethasone suppression test, dexamethasone (Sigma; 50 µg/kg in propylene glycol) or vehicle were injected 90 min prior to restraint”
Restraint stress application • Protocol step
“blood was sampled immediately following 10 min restraint”
Direct vendor pages are linked from the protocol above. This section stays focused on the full comparison view and the prep checklist.
Gather these items before starting the experiment. Check off items as you prepare.
MP Biomedicals • Not specified • Not specified • Not specified
Not specified • Not specified • Not specified • Not specified
Not specified • Not specified • Not specified • Not specified
Not specified • Not specified • Not specified • Not specified
Not specified • Not specified • Not specified • Not specified
Not specified • Not specified • Not specified • Not specified
Not specified • Not specified • Not specified • Not specified
Not specified • Not specified • Not specified • Not specified
Sigma • Not specified • Not specified • Not specified
Not specified • Not specified • Not specified • Not specified
Not specified • Not specified • Not specified • Not specified
3 items with ReplicateScience direct pages
Estimated: $4,780.00
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Current status surfaces were computed from experiment data updated Feb 28, 2026.
Source access
Jump back into the original paper or the methods evidence section when you need exact wording, exclusions, or method-specific caveats.
This protocol has structured steps plus evidence quotes, and is ready for canonical sync.
Steps
10
Evidence Quotes
10
Protocol Items
11
Linked Products
3
Canonical Sync
Pending
What this means
The completeness score reflects how much structured protocol data is present: steps, methods evidence, listed materials, linked products, and paper provenance.
Computed from the current experiment record updated Feb 28, 2026.
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Steps
10
Evidence
10
Specific Products
3/3
Canonical Sync
Pending
What this score means
The verification score reflects evidence coverage, subject detail, paper provenance, step depth, and whether linked products resolve to specific item pages instead of generic searches.
Computed from the current experiment record updated Feb 28, 2026.
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