title: Perinatal Exposure to Low-dose Nonylphenol Specifically Improves Spatial Learning and Memory in Male Rat Offspring.
abstract: 4-Nonylphenol (NP) has weak estrogen-like activity, and can therefore act as an endocrine disruptor. This study examined the effects of perinatal exposure to low-dose NP on learning and memory, general activity, and emotionality in male rat offspring. Dams were orally administered 1 or 10 mg/kg/day of NP or vehicle from gestational day 10 to postnatal day 14. The male offspring were evaluated using a battery of behavioral tests, including an appetite-motivated maze test (MAZE test) used to assess spatial learning and memory. In the MAZE test, times to reach goal (food) for both groups treated with NP were significantly shorter than those for the control group. In other behavioral tests (the open-field, elevated plus-maze, and step-through passive avoidance tests), NP did not affect any of each behavioral parameter. Thus, this study indicates perinatal exposure to low-dose NP specifically improves spatial learning and memory in male rat offspring.
authors.forename: Shinichiro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kawaguchi
authors.forename: Rika
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kuwahara
authors.forename: Yumi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kohara
authors.forename: Yutaro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Uchida
authors.forename: Yushi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Oku
authors.forename: Kimihiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yamashita
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001362:Avoidance Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D008568:Memory / Q000187:drug effects*; D010636:Phenols / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D065853:Spatial Learning / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D010636:Phenols; C041594:4-nonylphenol