title: Postnatal exposure to predator odor (TMT) enhances spatial learning in mice adulthood.
abstract: Adult behavioral and physiological responses are partly dependent on neonatal experiences. In several animal species, enriched/aprovished environments and stressful/appeasing events are crucial in the setting of adaptative behaviors. However, little is known about the effects of postnatal exposure to predator odor (as unconditioned fear-related stimulus) on spatial learning at adulthood. Thus, the aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of a postnatal exposure to 2,4,5-trimethylthiazoline (TMT, as a predator odor) on radial arm maze (RAM), Tolman maze (TM) and Morris water maze (MWM) in mice at adulthood. The results showed that a TMT group constituted by mice exposed postnatally during 3 weeks to TMT presented significantly better spatial learning achievements in adulthood compared to a water group, postnatally exposed to water only, as well as compared to a butanol group (butanol used as an odor without ecological significance) exposed postnatally to butanol during 3 weeks.
authors.affiliation: Université de Franche-Comté, Place Leclerc, 25000 Besançon, France.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hacquemand
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Jacquot
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Brand
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001362:Avoidance Learning / Q000502:physiology*; D005239:Fear / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000502:physiology; D008570:Memory, Short-Term / Q000502:physiology; D051379:Mice; D009812:Odorants; D013028:Space Perception / Q000502:physiology*