Figure 2.
The effects of the rhesus serotonin transporter linked polymorphic region (rh-5-HTTLPR) polymorphism and sex on self-directed behavior (duration of seconds in a 300-s session) during the acute (Ac) and chronic phase (Chr) of four repeated separation stress. Across separations, levels of self-directed behavior were similar in the short-allele carriers and long/long (l/l) allele animals. However, long/short (l/s) allele animals showed lower levels during the first separation (S1; p < .05) but increased as a function of repeated maternal separation (levels during S4 were higher than S1; p < .05), whereas it remained stable in l/l animals during both phases. Bars depict mean ± standard error of the mean, and all post hoc tests were performed using Tukey–Kramer.