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Moderate Prenatal Alcohol Exposure and Quantification of Social Behavior in Adult Rats
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Early paracetamol exposure decreases brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in striatum and affects social

Kamilla Blecharz-Klin1, Adriana Wawer1, Katarzyna Jawna-Zboińska1

  • 1Department of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology, Medical University of Warsaw, Centre for Preclinical Research and Technology CePT, Banacha 1B, 02-097 Warsaw, Poland.

Pharmacology, Biochemistry, and Behavior
|March 17, 2018
PubMed

Insights

Prenatal paracetamol exposure in rats altered social behaviors and exploration. This early life exposure significantly reduced striatal brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels in adulthood.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Developmental Toxicology
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Prenatal and early postnatal exposure to paracetamol (acetaminophen) may impact neurodevelopment.
  • Limited understanding exists regarding the specific biochemical and behavioral consequences of such exposures in early life.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the long-term effects of prenatal and early postnatal paracetamol exposure on social behavior, episodic memory, and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels in male rats.
  • To determine dose-dependent effects of paracetamol exposure.

Main Methods:

  • Rats were exposed daily to 5 mg/kg or 15 mg/kg of paracetamol during gestation and early postnatal life.
  • Social behavior was assessed using the Social Interaction test.
  • Episodic memory was evaluated with the Novel Object Recognition (NOR) test.
  • BDNF levels in the prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, and striatum were quantified using ELISA.

Main Results:

  • Paracetamol exposure led to decreased social interaction frequencies and increased pinning behavior.
  • Rats exposed to 15 mg/kg paracetamol showed increased object exploration in the NOR test.
  • A significant, nearly two-fold decrease in striatal BDNF levels was observed in both paracetamol-exposed groups compared to controls.

Conclusions:

  • Early life exposure to paracetamol can induce lasting alterations in social behavior and exploratory patterns in rats.
  • Paracetamol exposure significantly reduces striatal BDNF levels, suggesting a potential neurobiological mechanism for observed behavioral changes.

Keywords:
AcetaminophenBDNFMemoryParacetamolSocial behaviorStriatum

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