title: Combined action of uranium and stress in the rat. I. Behavioral effects.
abstract: The influence of restraint stress on uranium (U)-induced behavioral effects was assessed in adult male rats. Eight groups of animals received uranyl acetate dihydrate (UAD) in the drinking water at doses of 0, 10, 20 and 40 mg/kg/day during 3 months. Rats in four groups were concurrently subjected to restraint during 2 h per day throughout the study. At the end of the period of uranium exposure, the following behavioral tests were carried out: open-field activity, passive avoidance and Morris water maze. Uranium concentrations in brain were also determined. At 10 and 20 mg/kg/day of UAD restraint significantly affected the total distance traveled in the open-field during the first and third periods tested, respectively, while no significant differences between groups were observed on the passive avoidance test. In the Morris water maze test, the influence of restraint was only significant on the latency time measured on Day 3 in rats exposed at 10 mg/kg/day. Restraint stress did not affect significantly the uranium levels in brain of rats. Although the results of the present study scarcely show uranium-induced behavioral effects at the oral doses of UAD here administered, these effects, as well as the slight influence of restraint stress noted in some tests should not be underrated.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Toxicology and Environmental Health, School of Medicine, Rovira i Virgili University, San Lorenzo 21, 43201 Reus, Spain.
authors.forename: Montserrat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bellés
authors.forename: M Luisa
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Albina
authors.forename: Victoria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Linares
authors.forename: Mercedes
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gómez
authors.forename: Domènec J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Sánchez
authors.forename: José L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Domingo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001362:Avoidance Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects*; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D008297:Male; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D009942:Organometallic Compounds / Q000633:toxicity; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012149:Restraint, Physical; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology*; D014501:Uranium / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D009942:Organometallic Compounds; C005460:uranyl acetate; D014501:Uranium