Groups of animals that had the same winning and losing track record followed by a no-fight period for 14 days (no-fighting winners and no-fighting losers) were also studied.
To measure mRNA levels in the brain areas, all the mice were decapitated simultaneously: 20-time winners and 20-time losers, 24 hours after the last agonistic interaction; no-fighting winners and no-fighting losers, immediately after 14-day no-fight period; and the controls, on day 6 of individual housing.
On the contrary, decreased Snca mRNA level was found in no-fighting winners' VTA and in the no-fighting losers' raphe nuclei in similar comparisons.
In the raphe nuclei, the no-fighting winners had increased Snca mRNA levels as compared to the 20-time winners (U = 41; p<0.05).
There were significant differences in the Snca mRNA levels between the 20-time winners and 20-time losers (U = 38; p<0.05) as well as the no-fighting winners and no-fighting losers (U = 29; p<0.01).
However Snca gene expression increased in these areas in the no-fighting winners and no-fighting losers in comparison with respective mRNA levels in animals before no-fight period.
Groups of the 20-time winners and 20-time losers as well as groups of the no-fighting winners and no-fighting losers differed significantly (U = 31; p<0.05 and U = 8; p<0.05, respectively).
Differences in mRNA levels between the control and no-fighting winners and between the control and 20-time losers were not definitely significant, but strongly suggestive (p = 0.086 and p = 0.061, respectively).
Statistical analysis of data was also performed using the Kruskal-Wallis one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) with factor "groups" in consideration – the control, 20-time winners, 20-time losers, no-fighting winners and no-fighting losers.
"They'll want to sail into the sunset with all the belts, I'm available for a unification fight, so absolutely there's a chance of me fighting the winner.
He has already confirmed he is not interested in fighting the winner of Saturday's IBF super-middleweight title fight between Britain's James DeGale and Andre Dirrell in Boston.
