An ethologist's approach to behavioural toxicology.
Ethology, the biology of behaviour, is briefly introduced, and a review is presented of two ethological methods applied to toxicology. (1) When elements in the behaviour of rats in a social situation are objectively observed, chemically-induced changes in several kinds of behaviour can be detected at low doses. Changes are specific and repeatable in long-term experiments. Effects of nicotine at a 'smoking' dose, or trichloroethylene at the Threshold Limit Value, were reversible; limited tolerance developed to methyl mercury dicyandiamide. (2) An 'Exploration-Thirst' method is simple enough for use as a screen. It was compared with conventional toxicological methods for 30 compounds in routine screening (20 acute intraperitoneal, 10 subacute inhalation). Both ethological methods are sensitive enough to estimate 'no-effect' doses. They also distinguish non-specific toxic effects (consistent with the animal's equivalent of 'feeling ill') from various more specific CNS effects comparable to those of human experience.
Silverman
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AP
D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects*; D005010:Ethology; D005106:Exploratory Behavior / Q000187:drug effects; D008767:Methylmercury Compounds / Q000633:toxicity; D009538:Nicotine / Q000633:toxicity; D051381:Rats; D012919:Social Behavior; D013894:Thirst / Q000187:drug effects; D014241:Trichloroethylene / Q000633:toxicity
D008767:Methylmercury Compounds; D014241:Trichloroethylene; D009538:Nicotine