The forced swimming capacity test

The forced swimming capacity test is a method for the assessment of animals’ physical power and endurance. Briefly, the mice were dropped individually into a columnar swimming pool (45 cm tall and 20 cm in radius) filled with fresh water to a depth of 35 cm so that mice could not support themselves by touching the bottom with their tails. The temperature of the water was maintained at 34±1 °C. A weight (steel ring) equivalent to 5% of body weight was attached to the tail root of each mouse. The animal exhaustion time was recorded when they failed to rise to the surface of the water to breathe within 7 sec (20). The behavioral tests were done in the order of EPM, NORT, and forced swimming capacity test.