The effects of prenatal exposure to methylmercury on aggressive behavior in the rat.
The sensitivity of isolation-induced aggressive behavior to prenatal treatment of 6.0 mg/kg methylmercuric chloride (MMCl) by gavage on gestation days 6-9 was assessed in a subset of animals from the Collaborative Behavioral Teratology Study (CBTS). CBTS behavioral measures consisted of negative geotaxis, olfactory discrimination, auditory startle habituation, 1-hr activity, 23-hr activity, activity following pharmacological challenge and visual discrimination learning. Auditory startle was the only CBTS behavioral measure that discriminated among prenatal treatment groups. MMCl animals also were reliably more aggressive than vehicle controls in dyadic encounters. The results suggest that tests of aggressive behavior, which rarely have been included in teratologic assessments, be considered in the formulation of behavioral screening paradigms. The advantages of including tests of aggression and the relationship between aggressive and startle responses are discussed.
Royalty
J
J
Murray State University, KY 42071.
Taylor
G T
GT
Korol
B A
BA
D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D000374:Aggression / Q000187:drug effects*; D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D008767:Methylmercury Compounds / Q000633:toxicity*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D051381:Rats; D013216:Reflex, Startle / Q000187:drug effects; D012737:Sex Factors
D008767:Methylmercury Compounds