The EPM test was aimed to evaluate the effects of APH199 on anxiety levels in mice (Lister 1987 (link)). The apparatus was made from polyvinyl acrylic with black walls and a white floor and consisted of two closed (CA) and two open arms (OA) opposed to each other. The close arms were dimly lit (15–20 lx) and surrounded by walls of 15 cm in height, while the open arms were brighter illuminated (100 lx) and limited only by a low berm of 0.5 cm. The central zone of the maze between four arms was measured as 5 × 5 cm, and the size of each arm was determined as 30 × 5 cm (L × W). The floor of EPM was heightened at 50 cm above the floor of the experimental room. A mouse was injected with APH199 (0.5 or 5 mg/kg, i.p.) or vehicle 20 min before the test and then placed in the central zone facing one of the close arms. Animals explored the maze for 5 min with free access to all compartments, and their behaviour was recorded by Biobserve Viewer III (Biobserve GmbH, Germany). Risk assessment was analysed manually using videotapes and represents the number of entries in OA while at least one paw remained in CA (Müller et al. 2017 (link); Mielenz et al. 2018 (link)).
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