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Citation
Tags
HERO ID
2919758
Reference Type
Journal Article
Title
The effects of prenatal PCBs on adult social behavior in rats
Author(s)
Reilly, MP; Weeks, CD; Topper, VY; Thompson, LM; Crews, D; Gore, AC
Year
2015
Is Peer Reviewed?
Yes
Journal
Hormones and Behavior
ISSN:
0018-506X
EISSN:
1095-6867
Volume
73
Page Numbers
47-55
Language
English
PMID
26093262
DOI
10.1016/j.yhbeh.2015.06.002
Web of Science Id
WOS:000360251800007
Relationship(s)
has comment/response
5092231
[Email to Laura Carlson regarding quality details for Reilly et al., 2015]
Abstract
Endocrine disrupting chemical (EDC) exposures during critical periods of development may influence neuronal development and the manifestation of sexually dimorphic sociability and social novelty behaviors in adulthood. In this study, we assessed the effects of gestational exposure to PCBs on the social behavior of males and females later in adulthood. A weakly estrogenic PCB mixture, Aroclor 1221 (A1221, 0.5 or 1mg/kg) was administered to pregnant Sprague-Dawley rat dams. Both a positive control (estradiol benzoate; EB, 50μg/kg) and negative control (dimethylsulfoxide; DMSO in sesame oil vehicle) were similarly administered to separate sets of dams. The sexes responded differently in two tasks essential to sociality. Using a three-chamber apparatus that contained a caged, same-sex, gonadectomized stimulus animal and an empty stimulus cage, we found that both sexes showed a strong preference for affiliating with a stimulus animal (vs. an empty cage), an effect that was much more pronounced in the males. In the second task, a novel and a familiar stimulus animal were caged at opposite ends of the same apparatus. Females displayed a higher degree of novelty preference than the males. During both tests, females had significantly higher social approach behaviors while male engaged in significantly more interactive behaviors with the conspecific. Of particular interest, males born of dams that received prenatal A1221 (0.5mg/kg) exhibited an overall decrease in nose-to-nose investigations. These behavioral data suggest that the males are more sensitive to A1221 treatment than are females. In addition to behavioral analysis, serum corticosterone was measured. Females born of dams treated with A1221 (0.5mg/kg) had significantly higher concentrations of corticosterone than the DMSO female group; males were unaffected. Females also had significantly higher corticosterone concentrations than did males. Overall, our results suggest that the effects of gestational exposure to PCBs on adult social behavior are relatively limited within this particular paradigm.
Keywords
Endocrine disrupting chemicals; Polychlorinated biphenyls; A1221; Nose touching; Sociability; Social novelty; Social recognition; Social memory; Sexual dimorphism; Three-chamber test
Tags
IRIS
•
PCBs
Hazard ID: Toxicological evidence
Litsearches
Remaining
LitSearch August 2015
Pubmed
•
PCBs Tox Hazard ID
Health Effects
Developmental
Endocrine
Neurological
Reproductive
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