Dissimilar Anxiety-like Behavior in Prepubertal and Young Adult Female Rats on Acute Exposure to Aluminium

Title:Dissimilar Anxiety-like Behavior in Prepubertal and Young Adult Female Rats on Acute Exposure to Aluminium

Volume: 21 Issue: 3

Author(s): Trina Sengupta, Sutirtha Ghosh, Archana Gaur T. and Prasunpriya Nayak*

Affiliation:

• Department of Physiology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India

Keywords: Aluminium, metalloestrogen, anxiety, prepubertal, young-adult, female rat

Abstract: Background: Puberty is a developmental transition in which an estrogenic surge occurs, mediating the release of xenoestrogens, like aluminium. Aluminium’s effect on anxiety in rodents at the different developmental stages is inconsistent.

Aims: This study aimed at investigating the effect of the metalloestrogenic property of aluminium on anxiety-like behavioral changes in prepubertal and young adult female rats. Objective: Considering this aim, our objective was to evaluate the anxiety-like behavior by the elevated plus maze in prepubertal and young adult female rats with or without acute exposure to aluminium.

Methods: To address this property of aluminium, 5mg/Kg body weight (Al-5) and 10 mg/Kg body weight (Al-10) of aluminium was administered intraperitoneally to female rats at two developmental stages, prepubertal (PP; n = 8 for each dose) and young adult (YA; n = 6 for each dose) for two weeks. Post-treatment, three days behavioral assessment of the rats was done employing elevated plus maze.

Results: Reduced escape latency was seen in Al-5, Al-10 pre-pubertal rats, and Al-5 young-adult rats on day 3. A significant reduction in open arm time was seen in the Al-5 young-adult rats. Aluminium treatment in the pre-pubertal rats reduced their head dipping and grooming. Reduced sniffing, head dipping, and stretch-attended posture in the treated young-adult female rats showed that they had impaired risk-taking tendency.

Conclusion: Differential effect on the anxiety-like behavior in the pre-pubertal and young-adult female rats might be due to the metalloestrogenic property of aluminium, acting differently on the two age groups.

Cite this article as:

Sengupta Trina, Ghosh Sutirtha, Gaur T. Archana and Nayak Prasunpriya*, Dissimilar Anxiety-like Behavior in Prepubertal and Young Adult Female Rats on Acute Exposure to Aluminium, Central Nervous System Agents in Medicinal Chemistry 2021; 21 (3) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/1871524922666211231095507