Prolonged prenatal exposure to low-level ozone affects aggressive behaviour as well as NGF and BDNF levels in the central nervous system of CD-1 mice.
The long-term effects on isolation-induced aggressive behaviour and central NGF and BDNF levels of gestational exposures to ozone (O(3)) were evaluated in adult CD-1 mice. Females were exposed to O(3), at the dose of 0.0, 0.3 or 0.6 ppm from 30 days prior the formation of breeding pairs until gestational day 17. Litters were fostered at birth to untreated dams and, at adulthood, male offspring underwent five successive daily encounters (15 min each) with a standard opponent of the same strain, sex, weight and age. The encounters on day 1, 3 and 5 were videotaped and agonistic and non-agonistic behavioural items finely scored. O(3)-exposed mice showed a significant increase in freezing and defensive postures, a decrease in nose-sniffing behaviour and reduced progressively the aggressive behavioural profile displayed on day 1. Reduced NGF levels in the hippocampus and increased BDNF in the striatum were also found upon O(3) exposure.
Santucci
Daniela
D
Section of Behavioural Neurosciences, Department of Cell Biology and Neurosciences, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, I-00161 Rome, Italy. santucci@iss.it
Sorace
Alberto
A
Francia
Nadia
N
Aloe
Luigi
L
Alleva
Enrico
E
D000378:Agonistic Behavior / Q000187:drug effects*; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000378:metabolism*; D002490:Central Nervous System / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D020932:Nerve Growth Factor / Q000378:metabolism*; D010083:Oxidants, Photochemical / Q000633:toxicity*; D010126:Ozone / Q000633:toxicity*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects
D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; D010083:Oxidants, Photochemical; D010126:Ozone; D020932:Nerve Growth Factor