title: Chronic exposure to low mercury chloride concentration induces object recognition and aversive memories deficits in rats.
abstract: This work examines the effects of chronic exposure to low inorganic mercury (mercury chloride, HgCl(2)) concentration on the recognition and aversive memories. Forty male Wistar rats were divided into 4 groups treated during 30 or 60 days with saline (control) or HgCl(2) doses. After treated the animals were tested considering object recognition and inhibitory avoidance behavioral memory paradigms. Elevated plus maze, open field and tail flick tests were used to assess anxiety, locomotor and exploratory activity and pain thresholds. Only exposure for 60 days to HgCl(2) induced in memory deficits quantified in the object recognition task. In the inhibitory avoidance all the animals exposed to mercury (for 30 or 60 days) presented worst performance than control animals. Our results suggest that chronic exposure to low mercury chloride concentrations impairs memory formation.
authors.affiliation: Physiology Research Group, Federal University of Pampa, Uruguaiana, RS, Brazil. Electronic address: pamelacarpes@unipampa.edu.br.
authors.forename: Pâmela B
authors.initials: PB
authors.lastname: Mello-Carpes
authors.forename: Wellinghton
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Barros
authors.forename: Sidnei
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Borges
authors.forename: Niége
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Alves
authors.forename: Danize
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rizzetti
authors.forename: Franck M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Peçanha
authors.forename: Dalton V
authors.initials: DV
authors.lastname: Vassallo
authors.forename: Giulia A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Wiggers
authors.forename: Ivan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Izquierdo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001362:Avoidance Learning / Q000187:drug effects*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005106:Exploratory Behavior / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008627:Mercuric Chloride / Q000633:toxicity*; D017288:Pain Threshold / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D021641:Recognition, Psychology / Q000187:drug effects*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D008627:Mercuric Chloride
keywords: Behavioral; Inhibitory avoidance; Learning; Recognition memory; Toxicology