title: Mild carbon monoxide exposure impairs the developing auditory system of the rat.
abstract: The object of this study was to determine if chronic exposure to mild concentrations of CO in air caused changes in the integrity of the inferior colliculus during the most active period of synaptogenesis/auditory development. We examined all subregions of the inferior colliculus (IC) of rats by immunocytochemical approaches after pups were exposed chronically to CO concentrations of, 0, 12.5, 25, and 50 ppm in air starting at Day 8 through 20-22 days of age. Mother-reared pups were compared to the gastrostomy-reared pups with or without CO exposure for basal neural activity, using c-Fos immunoreactivity as a marker. Half the rats were examined at 27 days of age, 5 days after the end of CO exposure, and the other half were examined 50 days later at 75-77 days of age. In the central nucleus of the IC, the number of cells expressing a basal level of c-Fos was decreased significantly in the CO-exposed animals when compared to controls; however, there was little or no difference in the number of cells expressing c-Fos in the other subregions of the IC. We conclude that the central nucleus of the inferior colliculus is affected selectively by mild CO exposure (0.0012% in air) and that this reduction in neuronal activity persists into adulthood.
authors.affiliation: Mental Retardation Research Center, The David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA. dwebber@mednet.ucla.edu
authors.forename: Douglas S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Webber
authors.forename: Rose A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Korsak
authors.forename: Lauren K
authors.initials: LK
authors.lastname: Sininger
authors.forename: Sharon L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Sampogna
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Edmond
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001306:Auditory Pathways / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development; D002248:Carbon Monoxide / Q000633:toxicity*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007245:Inferior Colliculi / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development; D008426:Maternal Deprivation; D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos; D002248:Carbon Monoxide