title: Behavioral and neurochemical sequelae in young rats of antenal hypoxia.
abstract: To test the hypothesis that perinatal hypoxia may have postnatal consequences via à vis learning memory, and neurochemical sequelae, we exposed pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats to 10.5% O2 for 4 h per day (0800-1200 h) or continuously from gestional day E15 to E20. On E20 we quantified ornithine decarboxylase activity and polyamine concentrations in fetal brain. We also conducted behavioral tests from postnatal day P3 to P110. Relatively mild antenatal hypoxia resulted in altered learning, memory, and delayed maturation of early developmental sensorimotor function. These behavioral changes disappeared at various postnatal ages, depending on the function. Perinatal hypoxia also altered the pharmacological response to dopaminergic drugs. In addition, antenatal hypoxia feminized a male nonreproductive sexual behavior, that of saccharin preference. Acute hypoxia also resulted in an increase in the enzyme ornithine decarboxylase and polyamines, which may affect brain development.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Loma Linda University, CA 92350.
authors.forename: L D
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: Longo
authors.forename: R H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Hermans
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects*; D015317:Biogenic Polyamines / Q000378:metabolism*; D002755:Choice Behavior / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D005311:Fetal Hypoxia / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000523:psychology*; D007858:Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D008568:Memory / Q000187:drug effects; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects; D009955:Ornithine Decarboxylase / Q000378:metabolism*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012726:Sexual Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D015317:Biogenic Polyamines; D009955:Ornithine Decarboxylase