Effects of perinatal bisphenol A exposure during early development on radial arm maze behavior in adult male and female rats.
Previous work has shown that exposure to bisphenol A (BPA) can affect anxiety behavior. However, no studies have examined whether administration of this endocrine disruptor during the perinatal period has the potential to induce alterations in cognitive behavior in both adult males and females as assessed in an appetitive task. The goal of the current study was to determine whether exposure to different doses of BPA during early development alters performance on the 17-arm radial maze in adulthood in Long-Evans rats. Oral administration of corn oil (vehicle), 4 μg/kg, 40 μg/kg, or 400 μg/kg BPA to the dams occurred daily throughout pregnancy, and the pups received direct oral administration of BPA between postnatal days 1-9. Blood was collected from offspring at weaning age to determine levels of several hormones (thyroxine, thyroid stimulating hormone, follicle stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone). One male and one female from each litter were evaluated on the 17-arm radial maze, a working/reference memory task, in adulthood. Results indicated that after exposure to BPA at both 4 and 400 μg/kg/day, rats of both sexes had decreased levels of FSH at weaning. There were no significant effects of BPA on performance on the radial arm maze in males or females. In conclusion, exposure to BPA during early development had modest effects on circulating hormones but did not affect performance on a spatial learning and memory task.
Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL 61820, United States. Electronic address: rnhaag@illinois.edu.
Renee N
RN
Sadowski
Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL 61820, United States.
Pul
P
Park
Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL 61820, United States; Comparative Biosciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL 61820, United States.
Steven L
SL
Neese
Comparative Biosciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL 61820, United States.
Duncan C
DC
Ferguson
Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL 61820, United States; Comparative Biosciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL 61820, United States.
Susan L
SL
Schantz
Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL 61820, United States; Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL 61820, United States.
Janice M
JM
Juraska
D000284:Administration, Oral; D000818:Animals; D001559:Benzhydryl Compounds / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000633:toxicity*; D052244:Endocrine Disruptors / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000633:toxicity*; D005260:Female; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone / Q000097:blood; D006728:Hormones / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000187:drug effects*; D008570:Memory, Short-Term / Q000187:drug effects; D010636:Phenols / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000633:toxicity*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects / Q000097:blood / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000523:psychology*; D051381:Rats; D020318:Rats, Long-Evans; D000098826:Bisphenol A Compounds
D001559:Benzhydryl Compounds; D052244:Endocrine Disruptors; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone; D006728:Hormones; D010636:Phenols; C006780:bisphenol A; D000098826:Bisphenol A Compounds
BPA; Cognition; Spatial learning; T4; Thyroxine