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So YH, Shin HS, Lee SH, Moon HJ, Jang HJ, Lee EH, Jung EM. Maternal exposure to polystyrene microplastics impairs social behavior in mouse offspring with a potential neurotoxicity. Neurotoxicology 2023; 99:206-216. [PMID: 37918694 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuro.2023.10.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2023] [Revised: 10/27/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 11/04/2023]
Abstract
As plastic production has been increasing steadily, environmental pollution resulting from microplastics (MPs) continues to draw considerable attention of the researchers. Several studies have reported that MPs are risk factors for various cellular and systemic dysfunctions. However, the effects of chronic MP exposure from the embryonic stage to adulthood on mouse brain remain unclear. Accordingly, determining the impacts of maternal exposure to MPs on mouse offspring was the main goal of this study. To this end, single cells of primary cortical neurons were isolated from mouse embryos. Subsequently, the cells were exposed to 2 µm polystyrene microplastics (PS-MPs), which resulted in a notable reduction in dendritic length, and PS-MPs cannot pass through the cellular membrane of neurons. Moreover, exposure to PS-MPs caused the proliferation increase and apoptosis in primary cortical neuronal cells. We then evaluated the neurotoxicity associated with chronic PS-MP exposure from the embryonic stage to adulthood in C57BL/6 J mouse offspring. PS-MPs were found to accumulate in the digestive and excretory organs of the offspring but not in the brain tissue. However, offspring exposed to PS-MPs exhibited no differences in the levels of expression of genes related to brain cell markers or synaptic organization. Nevertheless, PS-MP-exposed mice exhibited impaired social novelty preferences; however, no changes were observed in the emotional, compulsive, or cognitive behaviors. Taken together, these results demonstrate the potential neurotoxic effects of chronic exposure to PS-MPs in mouse offspring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yun Hee So
- Department of Molecular Biology, College of Natural Sciences, Pusan National University, Busan 46241, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyun Seung Shin
- Department of Molecular Biology, College of Natural Sciences, Pusan National University, Busan 46241, Republic of Korea
| | - Seung Hyun Lee
- Department of Molecular Biology, College of Natural Sciences, Pusan National University, Busan 46241, Republic of Korea
| | - Ha Jung Moon
- Department of Molecular Biology, College of Natural Sciences, Pusan National University, Busan 46241, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyeon Jung Jang
- Department of Molecular Biology, College of Natural Sciences, Pusan National University, Busan 46241, Republic of Korea
| | - Eun-Hee Lee
- Department of Microbiology, College of Natural Sciences, Pusan National University, Busan 46241, Republic of Korea
| | - Eui-Man Jung
- Department of Molecular Biology, College of Natural Sciences, Pusan National University, Busan 46241, Republic of Korea.
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Liou CW, Cheng SJ, Yao TH, Lai TT, Tsai YH, Chien CW, Kuo YL, Chou SH, Hsu CC, Wu WL. Microbial metabolites regulate social novelty via CaMKII neurons in the BNST. Brain Behav Immun 2023; 113:104-123. [PMID: 37393058 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2023.06.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2023] [Revised: 06/28/2023] [Accepted: 06/28/2023] [Indexed: 07/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Social novelty is a cognitive process that is essential for animals to interact strategically with conspecifics based on their prior experiences. The commensal microbiome in the gut modulates social behavior through various routes, including microbe-derived metabolite signaling. Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), metabolites derived from bacterial fermentation in the gastrointestinal tract, have been previously shown to impact host behavior. Herein, we demonstrate that the delivery of SCFAs directly into the brain disrupts social novelty through distinct neuronal populations. We are the first to observe that infusion of SCFAs into the lateral ventricle disrupted social novelty in microbiome-depleted mice without affecting brain inflammatory responses. The deficit in social novelty can be recapitulated by activating calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII)-labeled neurons in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST). Conversely, chemogenetic silencing of the CaMKII-labeled neurons and pharmacological inhibition of fatty acid oxidation in the BNST reversed the SCFAs-induced deficit in social novelty. Our findings suggest that microbial metabolites impact social novelty through a distinct neuron population in the BNST.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chia-Wei Liou
- Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, 1 University Rd, Tainan 70101, Taiwan; Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, 1 University Rd, Tainan 70101, Taiwan.
| | - Sin-Jhong Cheng
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei 11529, Taiwan.
| | - Tzu-Hsuan Yao
- Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, 1 University Rd, Tainan 70101, Taiwan
| | - Tzu-Ting Lai
- Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, 1 University Rd, Tainan 70101, Taiwan; Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, 1 University Rd, Tainan 70101, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Hsuan Tsai
- Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, 1 University Rd, Tainan 70101, Taiwan; Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, 1 University Rd, Tainan 70101, Taiwan
| | - Che-Wei Chien
- Leeuwenhoek Laboratories Co. Ltd, Taipei 10672, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Lun Kuo
- Biotools Co. Ltd, New Taipei City 22175, Taiwan
| | - Shih-Hsuan Chou
- Biotools Co. Ltd, New Taipei City 22175, Taiwan; Graduate Institute of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Science, Fu-Jen Catholic University, New Taipei City 24205, Taiwan
| | - Cheng-Chih Hsu
- Leeuwenhoek Laboratories Co. Ltd, Taipei 10672, Taiwan; Department of Chemistry, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan.
| | - Wei-Li Wu
- Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, 1 University Rd, Tainan 70101, Taiwan; Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, 1 University Rd, Tainan 70101, Taiwan.
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do Nascimento BG, Maximino C. Social investigation and social novelty in zebrafish: Roles of salience and novelty. Behav Processes 2023:104903. [PMID: 37286113 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2023.104903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2022] [Revised: 03/23/2023] [Accepted: 06/03/2023] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Social preference tests can be used to analyze variables that influence and modify social behaviors, and to investigate effects of substances such as medications, drugs, and hormones. They may become important tools for finding a valid model to study neuropsychiatric changes and to study human neurodevelopmental processes that have been impaired by social events. While a preference for conspecifics has been shown for different species, social novelty has been used as a model for anxiety-like behavior in rodents. The goal of this research was to understand the roles of stimulus salience (numerousness) and novelty in social investigation and social novelty tests in zebrafish (Danio rerio Hamilton 1822). We used a sequential design, in which animals are exposed first to a social investigation test (with dichotomous presentation of novel conspecifics vs. empty tank) and then to a social novelty test (with dichotomous presentation of the already known conspecific and a novel conspecific). In experiment 1, animals were presented to either 1 or 3 (vs. an empty tank) conspecifics as stimuli. In experiment 2, animals were presented to 1 vs. 3 conspecifics as stimuli. In experiment 3, animals were observed in the social investigation and social novelty tests for 3 consecutive days. The results showed equivalence between 1 or 3 conspecifics in the social investigation and social novelty tests, although animals were able to discriminate between different shoal sizes. These preferences do not change with repeated test exposure, suggesting novelty to be a minor contributor to social investigation and social novelty in zebrafish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bianca Gomes do Nascimento
- Laboratório de Neurociências e Comportamento, Instituto de Estudos em Saúde e Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Sul e Sudeste do Pará, Marabá/PA, Brazil
| | - Caio Maximino
- Laboratório de Neurociências e Comportamento, Instituto de Estudos em Saúde e Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Sul e Sudeste do Pará, Marabá/PA, Brazil; Programa de Pós-Graduação em Neurociências e Comportamento, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém/PA, Brazil; Rede de Biodiversidade e Biotecnologia da Amazônia Legal, Brazil
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de Moura LA, Pyterson MP, Pimentel AFN, Araújo F, de Souza LVXB, Mendes CHM, Costa BPD, de Siqueira-Silva DH, Lima-Maximino M, Maximino C. Roles of the 5-HT2C receptor on zebrafish sociality. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2023; 125:110769. [PMID: 37068544 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2023.110769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2022] [Revised: 04/13/2023] [Accepted: 04/14/2023] [Indexed: 04/19/2023]
Abstract
Serotonin (5-HT) receptors have been implicated in social behavior in vertebrates. Zebrafish (Danio rerio) have been increasingly being used behavioral neuroscience to study the neurobiological correlates of behavior, including sociality. Nonetheless, the role of 5-HT2C receptors in different social functions were not yet studied in this species. Zebrafish were treated with the agonist MK-212 (2 mg/kg) or the antagonist RS-102221 (2 mg/kg) and tested in the social interaction and social novelty tests, conditional approach test, or mirror-induced aggressive displays. MK-212 increased preference for an unknown conspecific in the social investigation test, but also increased preference for the known conspecific in the social novelty test; RS-102221, on the other hand, decreased preference in the social investigation test but increased preference for the novel conspecific in the social novelty test. MK-212 also decreased predator inspection in the conditional approach test. While RS-102221 decreased time in the display zone in the mirror-induced aggressive display test, it increased display duration. Overall, these results demonstrate the complex role of 5-HT2C receptors in different social contexts in zebrafish, revealing a participation in social plasticity in vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Layana Aquino de Moura
- Laboratório de Neurociências e Comportamento "Frederico Guilherme Graeff", Faculdade de Psicologia, Instituto de Estudos em Saúde e Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Sul e Sudeste do Pará, Marabá,PA, Brazil
| | - Maryana Pereira Pyterson
- Laboratório de Neurociências e Comportamento "Frederico Guilherme Graeff", Faculdade de Psicologia, Instituto de Estudos em Saúde e Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Sul e Sudeste do Pará, Marabá,PA, Brazil
| | - Ana Flávia Nogueira Pimentel
- Laboratório de Neurociências e Comportamento "Frederico Guilherme Graeff", Faculdade de Psicologia, Instituto de Estudos em Saúde e Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Sul e Sudeste do Pará, Marabá,PA, Brazil
| | - Fernanda Araújo
- Laboratório de Neurociências e Comportamento "Frederico Guilherme Graeff", Faculdade de Psicologia, Instituto de Estudos em Saúde e Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Sul e Sudeste do Pará, Marabá,PA, Brazil; Núcleo Emergente de Fisiologia e Farmacologia de Peixes Teleósteos do Sudeste do Pará, Marabá, PA, Brazil
| | - Loanne Valéria Xavier Bruce de Souza
- Laboratório de Neurociências e Comportamento "Frederico Guilherme Graeff", Faculdade de Psicologia, Instituto de Estudos em Saúde e Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Sul e Sudeste do Pará, Marabá,PA, Brazil; Programa de Pós-Graduação em Neurociências e Comportamento, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, PA, Brazil; Núcleo Emergente de Fisiologia e Farmacologia de Peixes Teleósteos do Sudeste do Pará, Marabá, PA, Brazil
| | - Caio Henrique Moura Mendes
- Laboratório de Neurociências e Comportamento "Frederico Guilherme Graeff", Faculdade de Psicologia, Instituto de Estudos em Saúde e Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Sul e Sudeste do Pará, Marabá,PA, Brazil; Núcleo Emergente de Fisiologia e Farmacologia de Peixes Teleósteos do Sudeste do Pará, Marabá, PA, Brazil
| | - Bruna Patrícia Dutra Costa
- Laboratório de Neurociências e Comportamento "Frederico Guilherme Graeff", Faculdade de Psicologia, Instituto de Estudos em Saúde e Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Sul e Sudeste do Pará, Marabá,PA, Brazil; Rede de Biodiversidade e Biotecnologia da Amazônia Legal, Brazil
| | - Diógenes Henrique de Siqueira-Silva
- Grupo de Estudos da Reprodução de Peixes Amazônicos, Faculdade de Biologia, Instituto de Estudos em Saúde e Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Sul e Sudeste do Pará, Marabá, PA, Brazil; Rede de Biodiversidade e Biotecnologia da Amazônia Legal, Brazil; Núcleo Emergente de Fisiologia e Farmacologia de Peixes Teleósteos do Sudeste do Pará, Marabá, PA, Brazil
| | - Monica Lima-Maximino
- Laboratório de Neurofarmacologia e Biofísica, Universidade do Estado do Pará, Campus VIII, Marabá, PA, Brazil; Rede de Biodiversidade e Biotecnologia da Amazônia Legal, Brazil; Núcleo Emergente de Fisiologia e Farmacologia de Peixes Teleósteos do Sudeste do Pará, Marabá, PA, Brazil
| | - Caio Maximino
- Laboratório de Neurociências e Comportamento "Frederico Guilherme Graeff", Faculdade de Psicologia, Instituto de Estudos em Saúde e Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Sul e Sudeste do Pará, Marabá,PA, Brazil; Programa de Pós-Graduação em Neurociências e Comportamento, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, PA, Brazil; Rede de Biodiversidade e Biotecnologia da Amazônia Legal, Brazil; Núcleo Emergente de Fisiologia e Farmacologia de Peixes Teleósteos do Sudeste do Pará, Marabá, PA, Brazil.
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Cherepanov SM, Gerasimenko M, Yuhi T, Furuhara K, Tsuji C, Yokoyama S, Nakayama KI, Nishiyama M, Higashida H. Oxytocin ameliorates impaired social behavior in a Chd8 haploinsufficiency mouse model of autism. BMC Neurosci 2021; 22:32. [PMID: 33933000 DOI: 10.1186/s12868-021-00631-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2020] [Accepted: 03/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by the core symptoms of impaired social interactions. Increasing evidence suggests that ASD has a strong genetic link with mutations in chromodomain helicase DNA binding protein 8 (CHD8), a gene encoding a chromatin remodeler. It has previously been shown that Chd8 haplodeficient male mice manifest ASD-like behavioral characteristics such as anxiety and altered social behavior. Along with that, oxytocin (OT) is one of the main neuropeptides involved in social behavior. Administration of OT has shown improvement of social behavior in genetic animal models of ASD. The present study was undertaken to further explore behavioral abnormalities of Chd8 haplodeficient mice of both sexes, their link with OT, and possible effects of OT administration. First, we performed a battery of behavioral tests on wild-type and Chd8+/∆SL female and male mice. Next, we measured plasma OT levels and finally studied the effects of intraperitoneal OT injection on observed behavioral deficits. Results We showed general anxiety phenotype in Chd8+/∆SL mice regardless of sex, the depressive phenotype in Chd8+/∆SL female mice only and bidirectional social deficit in female and male mice. We observed decreased level of OT in Chd+/∆SL mice, possibly driven by males. Mice injected by OT demonstrated recovery of social behavior, while reduced anxiety was observed only in male mice. Conclusions Here, we demonstrated that abnormal social behaviors were observed in both male and female Chd8+/∆SL mice. The ability of peripheral OT administration to affect such behaviors along with altered plasma OT levels indicated a possible link between Chd8 + /∆SL and OT in the pathogenesis of ASD as well as the possible usefulness of OT as a therapeutic tool for ASD patients with CHD8 mutations. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12868-021-00631-6.
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Jin X, Ji L, Chen Q, Sheng R, Ji F, Yang J. Anesthesia plus surgery in neonatal period impairs preference for social novelty in mice at the juvenile age. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2020; 530:603-608. [PMID: 32747091 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2020.07.108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2020] [Accepted: 07/22/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Anesthetic sevoflurane could induce neurotoxicity in developing brain and cause adverse neurobehavioral outcomes in mice, including inattention, social interaction deficit, and learning and memory impairment. However, there is less data on the effect of anesthesia plus surgery on social interaction behavior. Therefore, we investigated whether the combination of anesthesia and surgical stimulation could induce behavioral and biochemical changes in mice. Firstly, the six-day-old mice were received either 3% sevoflurane anesthesia or abdominal surgery under sevoflurane anesthesia. Then, these mice were scheduled to social interaction test in three-chambered social paradigm at one-month-old. In addition, the brain tissues of neonatal mice were harvested at 24 h after treatment, for measuring the levels of OXTR and NMDAR1 in Western blot analysis. We found that neonatal anesthesia with sevoflurane in a clinically-relevant dosage could not induce social interaction deficit. Nevertheless, anesthesia plus surgery was able to impair preference for social novelty in mice. Moreover, anesthesia plus surgery decreased the levels of OXTR in hippocampus and cortex of mice, as well as NMDAR1 in hippocampus. Collectively, these results suggested that anesthesia plus surgery could impair social novelty preference, but not sociability in mice, and that social memory might be more vulnerable than social affiliation in biological property. Furthermore, reduction in the levels of cortex OXTR and hippocampus NMDAR1 could be associated with social recognition memory in mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Jin
- Department of Anesthesiology, First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, 215006, China
| | - Lei Ji
- Department of Anesthesiology, First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, 215006, China
| | - Qingcai Chen
- Department of Anesthesiology, First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, 215006, China
| | - Rui Sheng
- Department of Pharmacology, Soochow University School of Pharmaceutical Science, Suzhou, 215123, China
| | - Fuhai Ji
- Department of Anesthesiology, First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, 215006, China
| | - Jianping Yang
- Department of Anesthesiology, First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, 215006, China.
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Kordás K, Kis-Varga Á, Varga A, Eldering H, Bulthuis R, Lendvai B, Lévay G, Román V. Measuring sociability of mice using a novel three-chamber apparatus and algorithm of the LABORAS™ system. J Neurosci Methods 2020; 343:108841. [PMID: 32621917 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2020.108841] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2020] [Revised: 06/30/2020] [Accepted: 06/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The social approach and social novelty tests utilizing the three-chamber apparatus are widely accepted to measure social behavior of rodents. The LABORAS™ system offers a possibility to assess sociability of mice in a reliable and objective manner. NEW METHOD We assessed the capability of the LABORAS™ sociability cage and algorithm (2.6.6) to detect social behaviors in mice. Furthermore, we investigated whether the system is able to detect various levels of sociability due to genetic background or after pharmacological treatments. RESULTS By comparing manual scoring with various detection zone settings of the automated registration, the most fitting algorithm with a detection zone radius of 90 mm was identified. When different strains were investigated, C57Bl/6 J and NMRI mice proved to be social, while CD1 mice were found asocial. The system was able to detect the sociability increasing effect of R-baclofen (0.5 mg/kg i.p.) and oxytocin (12 ng i.c.v.) in asocial CD1 mice. The negative control PCP impaired social behavior of C57Bl/6 J mice (1 mg/kg i.p.) and increased social avoidance in CD1 mice (0.3 mg/kg i.p.). COMPARISON WITH EXISTING METHOD(S) This setup, in contrast to video frame analysis softwares, determines signal changes caused by movements of rodents allowing accurate detection and analysis of trajectories. Parallel automated measurements also allow replacing time and labor intensive, highly subjective human observational work. CONCLUSIONS The set-up provides a fast and reliable method to examine social behavior of mice in the three-chamber apparatus. The system is capable of detecting pro or antisocial activity of pharmacological agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krisztina Kordás
- Pharmacology and Drug Safety Research, Gedeon Richter Plc, Gyömrői út 19-21, 1103 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Ágnes Kis-Varga
- Pharmacology and Drug Safety Research, Gedeon Richter Plc, Gyömrői út 19-21, 1103 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Anita Varga
- Pharmacology and Drug Safety Research, Gedeon Richter Plc, Gyömrői út 19-21, 1103 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Herman Eldering
- Metris B.V., Kruisweg 829c, 2132NG Hoofddorp, the Netherlands
| | - Ronald Bulthuis
- Metris B.V., Kruisweg 829c, 2132NG Hoofddorp, the Netherlands
| | - Balázs Lendvai
- Pharmacology and Drug Safety Research, Gedeon Richter Plc, Gyömrői út 19-21, 1103 Budapest, Hungary
| | - György Lévay
- Pharmacology and Drug Safety Research, Gedeon Richter Plc, Gyömrői út 19-21, 1103 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Viktor Román
- Pharmacology and Drug Safety Research, Gedeon Richter Plc, Gyömrői út 19-21, 1103 Budapest, Hungary.
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Haskal de la Zerda S, Netser S, Magalnik H, Wagner S. Impaired sex preference, but not social and social novelty preferences, following systemic blockade of oxytocin receptors in adult male mice. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2020; 116:104676. [PMID: 32361188 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2020.104676] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2019] [Revised: 02/23/2020] [Accepted: 03/25/2020] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
The hypothalamic neuropeptide oxytocin (OT) is a powerful modulator of mammalian social behavior and its administration was shown to affect various types of social interactions. However, systematic examinations of the role of endogenous OT release in social behavior have heretofore been done only using genetically modified animal models in which the genes encoding either OT or the OT receptor (OTR) were mutated. While such genetic manipulations revealed various behavioral deficits, these deficits may involve developmental or long-term processes and do not prove the participation of acute OT release in the impaired behavior. Here we used a battery of social discrimination tasks to evaluate the effects of acute systemic OTR blockade, using a non-peptide, orally active OTR antagonist (L368,899), on social behavior of adult male C57BL/6 J mice. We found no effect of the pharmacological manipulation on the social preference and social novelty preference behaviors. However, the preference of a male mouse for investigating a female conspecific more than a male (sex preference behavior), was lost by administration of the OTR antagonist. Finally, we found that blocking OTR activity before social defeat prevented the consequent loss of social preference, suggesting a role for OT in the acquisition of aversive social memory. Overall, our results suggest that OT plays a role in modulating the salience of social stimuli and facilitating their memory, as predicted by the social salience theory, rather than in regulating the internal motivation of the subject for social interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shani Haskal de la Zerda
- Sagol Department of Neurobiology, The Integrated Brain and Behavior Research Center (IBBR), University of Haifa, Haifa 3498838, Israel
| | - Shai Netser
- Sagol Department of Neurobiology, The Integrated Brain and Behavior Research Center (IBBR), University of Haifa, Haifa 3498838, Israel
| | - Hen Magalnik
- Sagol Department of Neurobiology, The Integrated Brain and Behavior Research Center (IBBR), University of Haifa, Haifa 3498838, Israel
| | - Shlomo Wagner
- Sagol Department of Neurobiology, The Integrated Brain and Behavior Research Center (IBBR), University of Haifa, Haifa 3498838, Israel.
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Ariyasiri K, Choi TI, Kim OH, Hong TI, Gerlai R, Kim CH. Pharmacological (ethanol) and mutation (sam2 KO) induced impairment of novelty preference in zebrafish quantified using a new three-chamber social choice task. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2019; 88:53-65. [PMID: 29958859 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2018.06.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2018] [Revised: 06/06/2018] [Accepted: 06/19/2018] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Social behavior is a fundamental aspect of our own species, a feature without which our society would not function. There are numerous human brain disorders associated with abnormal social behavior, among them are the autism spectrum disorders whose causal factors include a genetic component. Environmental factors, including drugs of abuse such as alcohol, also contribute to numerous abnormalities related to social behavior. Several such disorders have been modeled using laboratory animals. Perhaps one of the newest among them is the zebrafish. However, the paucity of standardized behavioral assays specifically developed for the zebrafish have hindered progress. Here, we present a newly developed zebrafish behavioral paradigm, the three-chamber social choice task. This task, which was adapted from a murine model, assesses sociality and social novelty preference in zebrafish in three phases: habituation, phase-I to evaluate sociality, and phase-II to quantify social novelty preference. Test fish are placed in the middle chamber, while conspecifics are introduced to the flanking chambers during phase-I and II. Both male and female zebrafish displayed sociality (preference for conspecifics) during phase-I and social novelty preference (preference for unfamiliar conspecifics) during phase-II. We found the paradigm to be able to detect both environmentally (alcohol) as well as genetically (targeted knock out of sam2) induced alterations of behavioral phenotypes. Although ethanol-treated fish displayed similar levels of sociality to those of control (not alcohol exposed) male and female zebrafish, they were found to exhibit significantly impaired social novelty preference, a finding compatible with altered motivational or perhaps mnemonic processes. Moreover, we found that knock out of sam2, previously shown to lead to emotional dysregulation, also disrupted social novelty preference, while leaving sociality relatively intact. We conclude that our novel behavioral paradigm is appropriate for the modeling and quantification of social behavior deficits in zebrafish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krishan Ariyasiri
- Department of Biology, Chungnam National University, Daejeon 34134, South Korea
| | - Tae-Ik Choi
- Department of Biology, Chungnam National University, Daejeon 34134, South Korea
| | - Oc-Hee Kim
- Department of Biology, Chungnam National University, Daejeon 34134, South Korea
| | - Ted Inpyo Hong
- Department of Biology, Chungnam National University, Daejeon 34134, South Korea
| | - Robert Gerlai
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON L5L 1C6, Canada.
| | - Cheol-Hee Kim
- Department of Biology, Chungnam National University, Daejeon 34134, South Korea.
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Norton WHJ, Manceau L, Reichmann F. The Visually Mediated Social Preference Test: A Novel Technique to Measure Social Behavior and Behavioral Disturbances in Zebrafish. Methods Mol Biol 2019; 2011:121-132. [PMID: 31273697 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-9554-7_8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Zebrafish are an emerging model in behavioral neuroscience. They display a wide range of measurable behaviors such as locomotion, aggression, anxiety, learning and memory, and social behavior. In addition, the relative ease of genetic manipulation and the increasing availability of disease models mean that zebrafish have gained in popularity as an animal model for various neurological and psychiatric diseases including autism spectrum disorder (ASD). In order to better characterize social behavior and behavioral abnormalities in zebrafish, we have developed the visually mediated social preference (VMSP) test, a novel assay to measure social preference and social novelty in two consecutive 5-min sessions. Using recording and video tracking, the time spent in different areas of the tank, the time spent immobile, swimming speed, and distance moved can be easily measured and analyzed. Untreated experimentally naive AB WT zebrafish typically show a strong preference for spending time near and interacting with a compartment containing unfamiliar conspecifics over the empty compartments during session 1 and a stronger preference for a group of unfamiliar zebrafish over familiar conspecifics from session 1, during session 2 of the test. Research in our lab has shown that the VMSP is suitable to measure the social behavior of individual zebrafish, to uncover social phenotypes of mutant strains, and to better understand animal models of disease that include impaired sociability such as ASD. The current paper provides a step-by-step guide on how to implement and perform this test and highlights important considerations for data acquisition, analysis, and interpretation.
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Affiliation(s)
- William H J Norton
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology and Behaviour, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
| | - Line Manceau
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology and Behaviour, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
| | - Florian Reichmann
- Otto Loewi Research Centre, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria.
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11
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Bahramzadeh Zoeram S, Elahdadi Salmani M, Lashkarbolouki T, Goudarzi I. Hippocampal orexin receptor blocking prevented the stress induced social learning and memory deficits. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2018; 157:12-23. [PMID: 30458283 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2018.11.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2018] [Revised: 10/14/2018] [Accepted: 11/16/2018] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Stress as a homeostatic challenge leads to the malfunction of learning and memory processes, namely social learning and memory. The orexin system is involved in stress responses through connections to the hypothalamic-pituitary axis (HPA). In addition, the hippocampus, a structure vulnerable to stress-induced changes, expresses orexin receptors 1 and 2 (OXr1 and OXr2) in various sub-regions. The present study is aimed at assessing the effects of hippocampal orexin receptor blockade on social learning and memory impairments and anxiety development following stress. Male Wistar rats (220-250 g) underwent cannula implantation in the hippocampus. Acute (two mild electric shocks, 5.5 mA) and chronic stresses (ten days of restraint, 6 h daily) were applied with or without injection of orexin receptor antagonists (SB-334867 or TCS OX 29). Sociability and social novelty in animals were assessed in a three-chamber social maze at the end of stress application. Anxiety and exploratory behavior of animals were then examined, with 20 min intervals, using the open field (OF) and elevated plus maze (EPM) tests, respectively. Cisterna Magna cerebro-spinal fluid (CSF) was drained, before sacrifice, for orexin (OX) assay and trunk blood was collected to measure the plasma corticosterone (CRT). Neither the acute nor the chronic stress could affect the sociability. The acute but not chronic stress prevented the animal from sniffing the familiar caged rat in the novelty session, a response which was reversed following the blockade of both OXRs. Furthermore, acute but not chronic stress, led to increased anxiety and immobility behavior which were both impeded by blocking the orexin receptor (OXR). Conversely, OX content in CSF increased due to chronic restraint stress, an effect that was reversed by orexin blockade. Finally, elevated plasma CRT was recorded in response to both acute and chronic stresses. The observed increase in plasma CRT in chronically-stressed rats was abolished following inhibition of OXRs, however a similar effect was not seen in the acute-stress group. Our results identify hippocampal OXRs as potential candidates capable of preventing acute stress-induced impairments of social novelty and anxiety behavior, and chronic stress-induced plasma CRT and CSF orexin, changes. OXR manipulation may improve adaptation to stress pathophysiology.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Iran Goudarzi
- School of Biology, Damghan University, Damghan, Iran
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Karkaba A, Soualeh N, Soulimani R, Bouayed J. Perinatal effects of exposure to PCBs on social preferences in young adult and middle-aged offspring mice. Horm Behav 2017; 96:137-146. [PMID: 28935448 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2017.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2017] [Revised: 09/05/2017] [Accepted: 09/09/2017] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
In social species, social interactions between conspecifics constitute a fundamental component to establish relations, provide best chances to reproduce, and even improve survival rates. In this study, a three-chambered social approach test was used to estimate the level of sociability and level of preference for social novelty in both male and female young adult (postnatal day (PND) 50) and middle-aged (PND 330) offspring mice (n=10 per group) that were perinatally exposed to a mixture of six polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), 28, 52, 101, 138, 153, and 180, at environmentally low doses (10 and 1000ng/kg b.w. for dams during gestation and lactation), a profile that closely mimics human exposure to contaminated fish. Our results showed that PCBs bidirectionally modulated social preferences in offspring mice, and the effects were sex and age dependent. However, increased levels of social interactions were rather frequently detected in both assays of the three-chambered test. Reduced social interaction was only induced in 1000ng/kg PCB-exposed middle-aged males, which exhibited similar preferences to social and non-social stimuli when compared to middle-aged controls. Furthermore, results showed that plasma levels of both corticosterone and acetylcholinesterase activity were higher in all PCB-exposed middle-aged males and females than in their control counterparts. In summary, although the effects of PCBs were only of moderate magnitude, our results suggest that a PCB mixture can act as an endocrine disruptor in offspring mice, disturbing the formation of normal social habits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alaa Karkaba
- Université de Lorraine, Neurotoxicologie Alimentaire et Bioactivité, Rue du Général Delestraint, Campus Bridoux, 57070 Metz, France
| | - Nidhal Soualeh
- Université de Lorraine, Neurotoxicologie Alimentaire et Bioactivité, Rue du Général Delestraint, Campus Bridoux, 57070 Metz, France
| | - Rachid Soulimani
- Université de Lorraine, Neurotoxicologie Alimentaire et Bioactivité, Rue du Général Delestraint, Campus Bridoux, 57070 Metz, France
| | - Jaouad Bouayed
- Université de Lorraine, Neurotoxicologie Alimentaire et Bioactivité, Rue du Général Delestraint, Campus Bridoux, 57070 Metz, France.
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Reilly MP, Weeks CD, Topper VY, Thompson LM, Crews D, Gore AC. The effects of prenatal PCBs on adult social behavior in rats. Horm Behav 2015; 73:47-55. [PMID: 26093262 PMCID: PMC4546928 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2015.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2014] [Revised: 05/27/2015] [Accepted: 06/05/2015] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
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.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael P Reilly
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Connor D Weeks
- College of Natural Sciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Viktoria Y Topper
- Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Lindsay M Thompson
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - David Crews
- Section of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Andrea C Gore
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA.
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Biamonte F, Latini L, Giorgi FS, Zingariello M, Marino R, De Luca R, D'Ilio S, Majorani C, Petrucci F, Violante N, Senofonte O, Molinari M, Keller F. Associations among exposure to methylmercury, reduced Reelin expression, and gender in the cerebellum of developing mice. Neurotoxicology 2014; 45:67-80. [PMID: 25305366 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuro.2014.09.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2014] [Revised: 09/24/2014] [Accepted: 09/28/2014] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Genetic risk factors acting during pregnancy or early after birth have been proposed to account for the exponential increase of autism diagnoses in the past 20 years. In particular, a potential link with exposure to environmental mercury has been suggested. Male sex constitutes a second risk factor for autism. A third potential genetic risk factor is decreased Reelin expression. Male heterozygous reeler (rl(+/-)) mice show an autism-like phenotype, including Purkinje cells (PCs) loss and behavioral rigidity. We evaluated the complex interactions between 3 risk factors, i.e. genetic status, sex, and exposure to methylmercury (MeHg), in rl(+/-) mice. Mice were exposed to MeHg during the prenatal and early postnatal period, either at a subtoxic dose (2 ppm in Dams' drinking water), or at a toxic dose (6 ppm Dams' drinking water), based on observations in other rodent species and mice strains. We show that: (a) 2 ppm MeHg does not cause PCs loss in the different animal groups, and does not enhance PCs loss in rl(+/-) males; consistent with a lack of overt neurotoxicity, 2 ppm MeHg per se does not cause behavioral alterations (separation-induced ultrasonic calls in newborns, or sociability and social preference in adults); (b) in stark contrast, 6 ppm MeHg causes a dramatic reduction of PCs number in all groups, irrespective of genotype and sex. Cytochrome C release from mitochondria of PCs is enhanced in 6 ppm MeHg-exposed groups, with a concomitant increase of μ-calpain active subunit. At the behavioral level, 6 ppm MeHg exposure strongly increases ultrasonic vocalizations in all animal groups. Notably, 6 ppm MeHg significantly decreases sociability in rl(+/-) male mice, while the 2 ppm group does not show such as decrease. At a subtoxic dose, MeHg does not enhance the autism-like phenotype of male rl(+/-) mice. At the higher MeHg dose, the scenario is more complex, with some "autism-like" features (loss of sociability, preference for sameness) being evidently affected only in rl(+/-) males, while other neuropathological and behavioral parameters being altered in all groups, independently from genotype and sex. Mitochondrial abnormalities appear to play a crucial role in the observed effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Filippo Biamonte
- Laboratory of Developmental Neuroscience and Neural Plasticity, University Campus Biomedico, Via A. del Portillo 21, 00198 Rome, Italy
| | - Laura Latini
- Santa Lucia Foundation, I.R.C.C.S., Via del Fosso di Fiorano 64, 00143 Rome, Italy
| | - Filippo Sean Giorgi
- Section of Neurology, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Via Roma 67, 56126 Pisa, Italy
| | | | - Ramona Marino
- Laboratory of Developmental Neuroscience and Neural Plasticity, University Campus Biomedico, Via A. del Portillo 21, 00198 Rome, Italy
| | - Roberto De Luca
- Laboratory of Developmental Neuroscience and Neural Plasticity, University Campus Biomedico, Via A. del Portillo 21, 00198 Rome, Italy
| | - Sonia D'Ilio
- Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Centro Nazionale Sostanze Chimiche, Viale Regina Elena 299, Rome, Italy
| | - Costanza Majorani
- Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Dipartimento di Ambiente e Prevenzione Primaria, Viale Regina Elena 299, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesco Petrucci
- Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Dipartimento di Ambiente e Prevenzione Primaria, Viale Regina Elena 299, Rome, Italy
| | - Nicola Violante
- Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Dipartimento di Ambiente e Prevenzione Primaria, Viale Regina Elena 299, Rome, Italy
| | - Oreste Senofonte
- Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Dipartimento di Ambiente e Prevenzione Primaria, Viale Regina Elena 299, Rome, Italy
| | - Marco Molinari
- Santa Lucia Foundation, I.R.C.C.S., Via del Fosso di Fiorano 64, 00143 Rome, Italy.
| | - Flavio Keller
- Laboratory of Developmental Neuroscience and Neural Plasticity, University Campus Biomedico, Via A. del Portillo 21, 00198 Rome, Italy.
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Alsaeed I, Al-Somali F, Sakhnini L, Aljarallah OS, Hamdan RM, Bubishate SA, Sarfaraz ZK, Kamal A. Autism-relevant social abnormalities in mice exposed perinatally to extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields. Int J Dev Neurosci 2014; 37:58-64. [PMID: 24970316 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijdevneu.2014.06.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2014] [Revised: 06/16/2014] [Accepted: 06/16/2014] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The incidence of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) has been rising, but the causes of ASD remain largely unidentified. Collective data have implicated the increased human exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMF) in the increasing incidence of ASD. There are established biological effects of extremely low-frequency (ELF) EMF, but the relation to ASD is not investigated enough. In this study we examined the effects of perinatal exposure to ELF EMF on some ASD-relevant behavioral parameters in mice. The EMF was delivered via a Helmholtz coil pair. Male BALB/C mice were used and divided into exposed and control groups (n=8 and n=9, respectively). Tests were used to assess sociability, preference for social novelty, locomotion, anxiety, exploratory behavior, motor coordination, and olfaction. The examined mice were all males and exposed to EMF during the last week of gestation and for 7 days after delivery. The exposed mice demonstrated a lack of normal sociability and preference for social novelty while maintaining normal anxiety-like behavior, locomotion, motor coordination, and olfaction. Exposed mice also demonstrated decreased exploratory activity. We concluded that these results are supportive of the hypothesis of a causal link between exposure to ELF-EMF and ASD; however, replications of the study with further tests are recommended.
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