Neonatal exposure to benzo[a]pyrene induces oxidative stress causing altered hippocampal cytomorphometry and behavior during early adolescence period of male Wistar rats

Childhood exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons is associated with emotional and behavioral problems in adolescence: a longitudinal study in China

PURPOSE

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between childhood polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) exposure and emotional and behavioral problems in adolescence.

METHODS

Participants included 998 school-age children aged 7-12 years (514 girls and 484 boys). Metabolite concentrations of four PAHs (1-hydroxypyrene [1-OHPyr], 2-hydroxynaphthalene [2-OHNap], 2-hydroxyfluorine [2-OHFlu], and 9-hydroxyphenanthrene [9-OHPhe]) were measured in urine samples at baseline (Dec 2014-Dec 2015). During adolescence, we measured emotional and behavioral problems in study participants. We used logistic regression models to assess the effects of different levels of PAH metabolite concentrations on emotional and behavioral problems for boys and girls, separately.

RESULTS

Boys exposed to 1-OHPyr and 2-OHFlu had a significantly higher risk of externalizing problems (OR: 2.62, 95% CI: 1.09 ~ 6.29; OR: 2.92, 95% CI: 1.15 ~ 7.42). 2-OHNap exposure faced a higher risk of internalizing problems (OR: 3.85, 95% CI: 1.28 ~ 11.58; OR: 3.63, 95% CI: 1.13 ~ 11.63) and externalizing problems (OR: 4.27, 95% CI: 1.44 ~ 12.70; OR: 4.68, 95% CI: 1.49 ~ 14.73). Moreover, boys exposed to 9-OHPhe exhibited a significant risk of anxiety (OR: 2.84, 95% CI: 1.01 ~ 7.97; OR: 3.00, 95% CI: 1.04 ~ 8.68). Similarly, girls exposed to 9-OHPhe had a significant risk of anxiety (OR: 2.41, 95% CI: 1.25 ~ 4.64).

CONCLUSION

Childhood PAH exposures are associated with emotional and behavioral problems in adolescence, and boys seem more susceptible than girls.

Association between polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon exposure and cognitive performance in older adults: a cross-sectional study from NHANES 2011-2014

Background: polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are classified as neurotoxins, but the relationship between exposure to PAHs and cognition in adults is unclear, and their non-linear and mixed exposure association hasn't been explored. Objective: to evaluate the non-linear and joint association between co-exposure to PAHs and multiple cognitive tests in U.S. older people. Methods: restricted cubic spline (RCS) and Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) were conducted to evaluate the non-linear and mixed exposure association, based on the cross-sectional data from NHANES 2011-2014: 772 participants over 60 years old, 4 cognitive test scores, including the Immediate Recall Test (IRT), Delayed Recall Test (DRT), Animal Fluency Test (AFT), and Digit Symbol Substitution test (DSST), and 5 urinary PAH metabolites. Results: a V-shaped nonlinear relationship was found between 3-hydroxyfluorene (3-FLUO), 2-hydroxyfluorene (2-FLUO), and DRT. Negative trends between mixed PAH exposure and IRT, DRT, and DSST scores were observed. 2-FLUO contributed the most to the negative association of multiple PAHs with IRT and DRT scores and 2-hydroxynaphthalene (2-NAP) played the most important role in the decreasing relationship between mixed PAH exposure and DSST scores. Conclusion: our study suggested that PAH exposure in the U.S. elderly might be related to their poor performances in IRT, DRT and DSST. Further prospective studies are needed to validate the association.

Saffron stigma extract and crocin play an important neuroprotective role in therapeutic measures against benzo[a]pyrene-induced behavioral alterations in zebrafish

Saffron is a well-known expensive spice, which has many pharmacological properties against a variety of ailments. Saffron stigma and leaf contain apocarotenoids and bioactive phytochemicals having therapeutic potential against human disorders. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are one of the most common toxins in today's aquatic environment. Benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P), a high molecular weight PAHs prototype, and reported as a potent neurotoxicant, which is profoundly contaminating the environment. The present study investigated the therapeutic efficacy of Saffron stigma extracts and crocin, on B[a]P-induced behavioral changes, altered antioxidant activities, and neurodegeneration in zebrafish. The behavioral responses monitored through the light-dark preference test and novel tank diving test suggested that B[a]P treated zebrafish group showed alteration in anxiolytic-like behavior. Animals exhibited their native behavior when treated alone with Saffron Stigma Extract (SSE) and crocin, an apocarotenoid which also reduced the altered behavior induced by B[a]P. The SSE and crocin stimulated the antioxidant activities with an accumulation of reduced glutathione and catalase enzymes, indicating a protective role against B[a]P-induced oxidative stress and behavioral deficits. The histopathological studies showed the percentage change of pyknotic cell counts in the Periventricular Gray Zone region of the Optic Tectum was 1.74 folds high in B[a]P treated animals as compared to control. Furthermore, the treatment of SSE and crocin reduced the pyknosis process induced by B[a]P-mediated neurodegeneration, possibly due to a better protective mechanism. Future studies may reveal the detailed mechanisms of action of potent SSE and crocin like bioactive compounds having neuroprotective potentials against neurodegenerative diseases.

Developmental exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs): Focus on benzo[a]pyrene neurotoxicity

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) are a class of ubiquitous organic compounds produced during the incomplete combustion or pyrolysis of organic material. Dietary source is the main route for PAH human exposure by environmental contamination, food industrial processing or domestic cooking methods. The most studied PAH is benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P), due to its harmful and multiple effects on human health: in addition to its well-known carcinogenic effects, emerging evidence indicates that B[a]P also induces neurotoxicity earlier and at lower doses than B[a]P-induced carcinogenicity making B[a]P neurotoxicity relevant to human health risk assessment. Developmental neurotoxicity of B[a]P has indeed received increasing attention: both human and experimental studies provide evidence of detrimental effects of prenatal or early postnatal B[a]P exposure, even at low doses. Indeed, in some of the multi-dose animal studies, maximal adverse effects were observed at lower B[a]P doses, according to a non-monotonic dose-response curve typical of endocrine-disrupting compounds. In substantial agreement with epidemiological studies, both rodents and zebrafish developmentally exposed to B[a]P exhibit long-term changes in multiple behavioural domains, in the absence of overt toxicological effects at birth (e.g. body weight and morphologic abnormalities). Notably, most targeted behavioural responses converge on locomotor activity and emotional profile, often, but not always, leading to a disinhibitory/hyperactive profile.

Investigating the molecular mechanisms of delirium-like neuropsychiatric disorder induced by electromagnetic pulse based on bioinformatics analysis

Electromagnetic pulse (EMP), a unique type of electromagnetic radiation, may induce diverse neuropsychiatric disorders, such as irritability, hyperkinesis, retardation of learning and memory. However, the underlying mechanism of EMP exposure on neuronal injury has not been elucidated. Here, we aimed to delineate the regulatory expression networks based on high-throughput sequencing data to explore the possible molecular mechanisms related to EMP-induced delirium-like neuropsychiatric disorder in rats. It's shown that EMP exposure induced anxiety, cognitive decline and short-term memory impairment. The expression profiles of the long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) and mRNAs, along with their biological function and regulatory network, were explored in rats after EMP exposure. We identified 41 differentially expressed lncRNAs (DELs) and 266 differentially expressed mRNAs (DEMs) between EMP and sham groups. Sixty-one co-expression relationships between 18 DELs and 56 DEMs were mostly associated with synapse- and metabolic-related pathways. We predicted 51 DEL-miRNA pairs and 290 miRNA-mRNA pairs using the miRanda database to constructed a DEL-miRNA-DEM network. LncRNA AABR07042999.1 and mRNA Tph2, Slc6a4, Dbh and Th were upregulated, and the contents of serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine were increased in both PFC and HIP after EMP exposure. The current study provided a better understanding of the ceRNA network, which might reveal the pathological mechanism and provide more treatment options for the EMP-induced neurobehavioral disorder.

Neurotoxicity of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons: A Systematic Mapping and Review of Neuropathological Mechanisms

Several studies present the neurotoxic effects of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), a class of environmental pollutants capable of causing neurological deficits. However, a collective review approach to this research topic is scarce. This study presents the effect of PAHs on the central nervous system using a bibliometric approach. The neuropathological mechanisms of PAHs are also highlighted. Published articles were searched for in the Scopus and Web of Science databases from January 1979 to December 2020 using the keywords ‘polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons’ and ‘neurotoxicity’. The total number of documents retrieved from both databases was 338. Duplicated documents (80) were excluded and 258 articles were used for the final analysis. Our findings revealed that there has been a significant increase in research outputs on this topic in the last ten years. The countries with the highest scientific productivity in this area are USA, China, France and Italy. The result also showed that, in the past few years, global scientific output in research relating to PAH neurotoxicity focused on neurodegeneration, cholinergic function, neurodevelopmental toxicity, behavioural studies, oxidative stress, neuroprotection and therapeutic intervention using different experimental models, including zebrafish, neuronal cell lines, Caenorhabditis elegans and rats. Recent studies also revealed the neuroprotective roles of some natural products against PAH-induced neurotoxicity. However, more investigation involving clinical trials is required to emphasize the observed neurotoxic effects.

The behavioral effects of gestational and lactational benzo[a]pyrene exposure vary by sex and genotype in mice with differences at the Ahr and Cyp1a2 loci

Benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) is a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) and known carcinogen in the Top 10 on the United States' list of priority pollutants. Humans are exposed through a variety of sources including tobacco smoke, grilled foods and fossil fuel combustion. Recent studies of children exposed to higher levels of PAHs during pregnancy and early life have identified numerous adverse effects on the brain and behavior that persist into school age and adolescence. Our studies were designed to look for genotype and sex differences in susceptibility to gestational and lactational exposure to BaP using a mouse model with allelic differences in the aryl hydrocarbon receptor and the xenobiotic metabolizing enzyme CYP1A2. Pregnant dams were exposed to 10 mg/kg/day of BaP in corn oil-soaked cereal or the corn oil vehicle alone from gestational day 10 until weaning at postnatal day 25. Neurobehavioral testing began at P60 using one male and one female per litter. We found main effects of sex, genotype and treatment as well as significant gene x treatment and sex x treatment interactions. BaP-treated female mice had shorter latencies to fall in the Rotarod test. BaP-treated high-affinity Ahr^bCyp1a2(-/-) mice had greater impairments in Morris water maze. Interestingly, poor-affinity Ahr^dCyp1a2(-/-) mice also had deficits in spatial learning and memory regardless of treatment. We believe our findings provide future directions in identifying human populations at highest risk of early life BaP exposure, because our model mimics known human variation in our genes of interest. Our studies also highlight the value of testing both males and females in all neurobehavioral studies.

Effect of prenatal exposure to Benzo[a]pyrene on ovarian toxicity and reproductive dysfunction: Protective effect of atorvastatin in the embryonic period

As an environmental contaminant, Benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P; BaP) disrupts the antioxidant signaling and thus leads to the induction of oxidative stress and the damage of DNA in the ovary. low-dose atorvastatin (ATV) has antioxidant and anti-apoptotic properties. The present study aimed to survey the effects of prenatal exposure to BaP on ovarian toxicity and also to investigate the protective role of ATV in reducing ovarian toxicity. In this study, rats were divided into seven groups: control, ATV (10 mg/kg), oil, BaP (10 and 20 mg/kg), and ATV + BaP (10 and 20 mg/kg). BaP and ATV were administrated from gestation day 7-16 (GD7 to GD16), orally. 10 weeks after the birth, female offsprings were examined for oxidative stress markers, sex hormones, ovarian and tubular tissue structure, and the apoptosis markers. Data showed that BaP significantly reduced glutathione, increased malondialdehyde level, and disrupted the tissue structure of the ovary. Moreover, estrogen and progesterone levels significantly decreased in the offsprings rats. Also, BaP increased caspase-3 immunoreactivity. Atorvastatin treatment along with BaP in the embryonic period were able to bring the antioxidant status and sex hormones levels relatively close to normal. Besides, histological findings showed that atorvastatin was able to improve ovarian and oviduct abnormalities caused by BaP. Based on the above studies be concluded that atorvastatin in the embryonic during was able to reduce ovarian damage caused by BaP with antioxidant and anti-apoptotic properties.

Benzo[a]pyrene exposure and overcrowding stress impacts anxiety-like behavior and impairs learning and memory in adult zebrafish, Danio rerio

Benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P), a prototype of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and ubiquitous environmental pollutant, alters neurobehavioral responses in aquatic organisms like zebrafish. Increasing organic load on water bodies causes population explosion leading to overcrowding (OC) stress. The effect of OC stress on neurobehavioral alterations remains unclear. The objective of our study is to elucidate the impact of OC stress on behavioral alterations and neurodegenerative phenotypes on exposure to B[a]P in zebrafish. We demonstrate the effects of OC stress (12 fish/L) on acute waterborne exposure to B[a]P (0.2 mg L^-1 ) in adult wild zebrafish. Anxiety-like behavior, learning, and memory impairment were assayed by novel tank diving test, light/dark preference test, and T-maze test. Oxidative stress bio-markers were assayed along with histopathological changes in zebrafish brain. OC stress significantly impaired the learning ability and mood behavior by increasing the number of transition and time spent in the alter zones. Increased lipid peroxidation and protein carbonyl formation with significant decreased catalase activity and reduced glutathione level showed oxidative stress on exposure to OC stress and B[a]P. Pyknotic neuronal counts dramatically increased in periventricular grey zone of optic tectum brain region of zebrafish. Our findings showed that OC stress modulates the B[a]P-induced behavioral alterations causing learning and memory deficiency with histopathological changes in adult zebrafish brain. OC stress may act as an early risk factor for the eventual development of cognitive impairments and B[a]P exposure plays a key role in mediating both the facilitating and impairing actions of OC stress in memory processes.

Benzo(a)pyrene exposure induced neuronal loss, plaque deposition, and cognitive decline in APP/PS1 mice

Background

Exposure to benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) was associated with cognitive impairments and some Alzheimer’s disease (AD)-like pathological changes. However, it is largely unknown whether BaP exposure participates in the disease progression of AD.

Objectives

To investigate the effect of BaP exposure on AD progression and its underlying mechanisms.

Methods

BaP or vehicle was administered to 4-month-old APPswe/PS1dE9 transgenic (APP/PS1) mice and wildtype (WT) mice for 2 months. Learning and memory ability and exploratory behaviors were evaluated 1 month after the initiation/termination of BaP exposure. AD-like pathological and biochemical alterations were examined 1 month after 2-month BaP exposure. Levels of soluble beta-amyloid (Aβ) oligomers and the number of Aβ plaques in the cortex and the hippocampus were quantified. Gene expression profiling was used to evaluate alternation of genes/pathways associated with AD onset and progression. Immunohistochemistry and Western blot were used to demonstrate neuronal loss and neuroinflammation in the cortex and the hippocampus. Treatment of primary neuron-glia cultures with aged Aβ (a mixture of monomers, oligomers, and fibrils) and/or BaP was used to investigate mechanisms by which BaP enhanced Aβ-induced neurodegeneration.

Results

BaP exposure induced progressive decline in spatial learning/memory and exploratory behaviors in APP/PS1 mice and WT mice, and APP/PS1 mice showed severer behavioral deficits than WT mice. Moreover, BaP exposure promoted neuronal loss, Aβ burden and Aβ plaque formation in APP/PS1 mice, but not in WT mice. Gene expression profiling showed most robust alteration in genes and pathways related to inflammation and immunoregulatory process, Aβ secretion and degradation, and synaptic formation in WT and APP/PS1 mice after BaP exposure. Consistently, the cortex and the hippocampus of WT and APP/PS1 mice displayed activation of microglia and astroglia and upregulation of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), and NADPH oxidase (three widely used neuroinflammatory markers) after BaP exposure. Furthermore, BaP exposure aggravated neurodegeneration induced by aged Aβ peptide in primary neuron-glia cultures through enhancing NADPH oxidase-derived oxidative stress.

Conclusion

Our study showed that chronic exposure to environmental pollutant BaP induced, accelerated, and exacerbated the progression of AD, in which elevated neuroinflammation and NADPH oxidase-derived oxidative insults were key pathogenic events.

Methylnitrosourea, dimethylbenzanthracene and benzoapyrene differentially affect redox pathways, apoptosis and immunity in zebrafish

Cancer continues to be a major cause of mortality globally. Zebrafish present suitable models for studying the mechanisms of genotoxic carcinogens. The aim of this study was to investigate the interaction between oxidant-antioxidant status, apoptosis and immunity in zebrafish that were exposed to three different genotoxic carcinogens methylnitrosourea, dimethylbenzanthracene, benzoapyrene and methylnitrosourea + dimethylbenzanthracene starting from early embryogenesis for 30 days. Lipid peroxidation, nitric oxide levels, superoxide dismutase and glutathione-S-transferase activities and mRNA levels of apoptosis genes p53, bax, casp3a, casp2 and immunity genes fas, tnfα and ifnγ1 were evaluated. The disruption of the oxidant-antioxidant balance accompanied by altered expressions of apoptotic and immunity related genes were observed in different levels according to the carcinogen applied. Noteworthy, ifnγ expressions decreased in all carcinogen-exposed groups. Our results will provide basic data for further carcinogenesis research in zebrafish models.

Adolescence benzo[a]pyrene treatment induces learning and memory impairment and anxiolytic like behavioral response altering neuronal morphology of hippocampus in adult male Wistar rats

•

Intraperitoneal B[a]P administration induces anxiolytic like behavior in rats.

•

B[a]P induces oxidative stress and reduces antioxidant enzyme activity.

•

Exposure to B[a]P-induces decrease in dendrite length and spine density through oxidative stress affecting antioxidant defence system.

•

Alteration in the neuronal architecture of the hippocampal cells after B[a]P administration is associated with learning and memory defict.

Exposure to benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P), a prototype of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) easily cross blood brain barrier (BBB) and is associated with impaired learning and memory in adult rats. However, there is no symmetric study reported on association between B[a]P exposure during the early development and hippocampal dendritic architecture causing behavioral changes like learning and memory deficit of adult rats. We investigated a fourteen day consecutive B[a]P administration, intraperitonial (i.p.), with two different doses (0.1 and 1μM) during early adolescence at PND30-44 and learning behavior assessed between PND 45-60 in adult male rats. The anxiolytic like behavioural analysis was done by LDPT. Depressive like behaviour was estimated through sucrose preference and learning and memory by T-maze. After B[a]P administration oxidative stress markers like glutathione S-transferase (GST), glutathione reductase (GR), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), reduced (GSH) and oxidized glutathione (GSSG) were evaluated. To parallel these behavioral and antioxidant level changes to alteration in dendritic morphology, Golgi-Cox staining was performed in the hippocampus. Our study showed anxiolytic like behavioral response with significant increase in time spent in light zone and significant (p < 0.05) decrease in preference for sucrose and a reduction in percentage of spontaneous responses in T-maze test in B[a]P administered group as compared to vehicle control. B[a]P exposed male rats showed significant increase in GST activity (p < 0.05) and concentration of GSSG with a decay in GSH, GPx and GR in both the groups as compared to control. B[a]P administered rats showed significant loss in total dendritic length and number (28%) with reduced spine density (18%) in both higher and lower doses. These results suggested that B[a]P administration can be associated with an increase ROS production showing altered antioxidant defence system through glutathione biosynthesis and causing profound alterations in dendritic length and spine density of hippocampal neurons leading towards learning and memory deficits in adult rats.

Protective Effects and Mechanisms of MicroRNA-182 on Oxidative Stress in RHiN

To explore protective effects and related mechanisms of microRNA-182 (miR-182) on oxidative stress in rat hippocampal neurons (RHiN), RHiN cells. As the results, the survival rate and superoxide dismutase levels in H₂O₂ group were significantly lower than H₂O₂+miR-182 group (all P<0.05). The malondialdehyde levels and apoptosis rate in H₂O₂+miR-182 group were significantly lower than H2O2 group (all P<0.05). The mRNA levels and expression levels of mTOR and PI3K in H₂O₂+miR-182 group were higher than those in H₂O₂ group (both P<0.05). The experiment of cerebral ischemic oxidative stress model rats showed that the survival rate, apoptosis rate, malondialdehyde and superoxide dismutase levels in miR-182 group were better than model control group. The positive staining intensity of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (mTOR) and phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) in model control group were significantly lower than miR-182 group (all P<0.05). Increased levels of miR-182 can reduce the damage of H2O2 treatments in RHiN cells. Oxidative stress is decreased in the neuronal cells possibly by activation of the PI3K-AKT-mTOR pathway.

Neuropeptide Y expression confers benzo[a]pyrene induced anxiolytic like behavioral response during early adolescence period of male Wistar rats

Environmental neurotoxicant like benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) is known to induce neurobehavioral changes. Our previous reports address the adverse effect of B[a]P on the neurobehavioral responses and neuromorphology of sensitive brain regions in adolescent rats. Present study was conducted on male Wistar rat neonates at postnatal day 5 (PND5) to ascertain B[a]P induced anxiolytic like behavioral response could be an outcome of neuropeptide Y (NPY) overexpression in brain. Single intracisternal administration of B[a]P was carried out at PND5 to elucidate the role of NPY on neurobehavioral responses at PND30. The behavioral studies showed anxiolytic like effect of B[a]P in both light and dark box and elevated plus maze tests. Antioxidant assay involving glutathione peroxidase activity was significantly decreased where as lipid peroxidation was significantly augmented in both hippocampus and hypothalamus of B[a]P treated group as compared to naive and control. The neurotransmitter estimation by HPLC-ECD showed significant increase in 5-HT level in both hippocampus and hypothalamus of B[a]P treated group. Significant elevation in NPY expression was observed in both hippocampus and hypothalamus of B[a]P group. Intracellular Ca²⁺ estimation using Fura-2AM by fluorometry showed that B[a]P induced increase in Ca²⁺ influx was associated with augmented NPY expression in brain. As NPY has orexigenic effect, our result revealed that there was a significant increase in body weight at PND30 following B[a]P administration to rat neonates at PND5. These findings suggested that NPY overexpression in brain regions might be associated with anxiolytic like behavioral response and orexigenic effect in rats following single intracisternal B[a]P administration. Future research directing towards understanding the signaling cascades of B[a]P induced biochemical and neuromorphological alteration might address the independent pathway which induce neurodegeneration despite NPY overexpression in brain regions of adolescent rats.

Neonatal Benzo[a]pyrene Exposure Induces Oxidative Stress and DNA Damage Causing Neurobehavioural Changes during the Early Adolescence Period in Rats

Humans are exposed to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) by ingestion of contaminated food and water. Prenatal exposure to benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) like PAHs through the placental barrier and neonatal exposure by breast milk and the environment may affect early brain development. In the present study, single intracisternal administration of B[a]P (0.2 and 2.0 µg/kg body weight) to male Wistar rat pups at postnatal day 5 (PND5) was carried out to study its specific effect on neonatal brain development and its consequences at PND30. B[a]P administration showed a significant increase in exploratory and anxiolytic-like behaviour with elevated hippocampal lipid peroxidation and protein oxidation at PND30. Further, DNA damage was estimated in vitro (Neuro2a and C6 cell lines) by the comet assay, and oxidative DNA damage of hippocampal sections was measured in vivo following exposure to B[a]P. DNA strand breaks (single and double) significantly increased due to B[a]P at PND30 in hippocampal neurons and increased the nuclear tail moment in Neuro2a cells. Hippocampal 8-oxo-2′-deoxyguanosine production was significantly elevated showing expression of more TUNEL-positive cells in both doses of B[a]P. Histological studies also revealed a significant reduction in mean area and perimeter of hippocampal neurons in rats treated with B[a]P 2.0 μg/kg, when compared to naïve and control rats. B[a]P significantly increased anxiolytic-like behaviour and oxidative DNA damage in the hippocampus causing apoptosis that may lead to neurodegeneration in adolescence. The findings of the present study address the potential role of B[a]P in inducing oxidative stress-mediated neurodegeneration in the hippocampus through oxidative DNA damage in the early adolescence period of rats.