Effects of prolonged selenium deficiency on open field behavior and Morris water maze performance in mice

Neurobehavioral effects of prolonged Se deficiency were evaluated using ICR mice. Dams were fed Se-deficient or Se-adequate diet starting at 4 weeks before conception through the suckling period. After weaning, offspring of both groups were given the same diet as their dams were given. The behavior of these offspring was evaluated with open field apparatus (OPF) and Morris water maze. In OPF, Se-deficient females exhibited less locomotor activity, more defecation, and less entry to the center square areas than did the control females. No such difference was found in males. In the Morris maze, Se-deficient females showed slight but significant impairment during the initial phase of the trials. The behavioral changes in OPF and the maze might have been due to an altered reactivity to a novel environment, although this possibility needs further confirmation. The obtained data showed that the altered behavior was unlikely to be due to the changes in thyroid hormones. Mechanism of these behavioral effects is discussed in relation to possible neurochemical changes induced by Se deficiency.