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.
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