title: Neonatal handling impairs spatial memory and leads to altered nitric oxide production and DNA breaks in a sex specific manner.
abstract: Early life events lead to behavioral and neurochemical changes in adulthood. The aim of this study is to verify the effects of neonatal handling on spatial memory, nitric oxide (NO) production, antioxidant enzymatic activities and DNA breaks in the hippocampus of male and female adult rats. Litters of rats were non-handled or handled (10 min/day, days 1-10 after birth). In adulthood they were subjected to a Morris water maze or used for biochemical evaluations. Female handled rats showed impairment in spatial learning. They also showed decreased NO production, while no effects were observed in these parameters in male rats. No effects were observed on the number of hippocampal NADPH diaphorase positive cells. In the Comet Assay, male handled rats showed increased DNA breaks index when compared to non-handled ones. We conclude that neonatal handling impairs learning performance in a sex-specific manner, what may be related to NO decreased levels.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto de Ciências Básica da Saúde, ICBS, UFRGS (Saúde), Ramiro Barcellos, 2600, anexo, Porto Alegre, RS, 90035-003, Brazil. cristienoschang@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Cristie Grazziotin
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Noschang
authors.forename: Rachel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Krolow
authors.forename: Fernanda Urruth
authors.initials: FU
authors.lastname: Fontella
authors.forename: Danusa M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Arcego
authors.forename: Luísa Amália
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Diehl
authors.forename: Simone Nardin
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Weis
authors.forename: Nice S
authors.initials: NS
authors.lastname: Arteni
authors.forename: Carla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dalmaz
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002374:Catalase / Q000378:metabolism; D020552:Comet Assay; D053960:DNA Breaks; D005260:Female; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase / Q000378:metabolism; D006234:Handling, Psychological; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D018782:Maze Learning; D008568:Memory; D009252:NADPH Dehydrogenase / Q000378:metabolism; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012737:Sex Factors; D013028:Space Perception; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D009569:Nitric Oxide; D002374:Catalase; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase; D009252:NADPH Dehydrogenase