Behavioral alterations in male golden hamsters exposed to chlorodibromomethane

A number of behavioral parameters in male golden hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus) exposed to chlorodibromomethane (CDBM) were registered over a 10-day (day -9 to day 0) pretest period and a 14-day (day 1 to day 14) test period beginning at 8 weeks of age. Whereas the subchronically treated group (5 mg/kg body weight) only showed significantly increased water bottle contacts on days 4-7 compared with vehicle controls, the acutely treated group (50 mg/kg body weight) exhibited significantly increased locomotor activity on days 3-6 and decreased wheel running at day 6 until day 9. In the open field, the acutely exposed males displayed significantly more flank-mark movements at days 4 and 7 than did the vehicle control animals. After day 9, the acutely treated males showed no differences in any parameter compared with the control males, indicating recovery. During the social confrontation on day 14, the subchronically exposed males bit and approached the intruder significantly less often than did the control males, indicating an impairment of selected social behavior affected by CDBM. Our results of low-level (5 mg/kg) behavioral effects contribute to the general characterization of CDBM and suggest that tests on social capabilities in behavioral toxicology provide significant results in a field of low-level and sublethal chronic application on small samples of experimental animals.