Full text
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| Author(s): |
Marina Taricano
Total Authors: 1
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| Document type: | Master's Dissertation |
| Press: | São Paulo. |
| Institution: | Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Instituto de Psicologia (IP/SBD) |
| Defense date: | 2010-08-27 |
| Examining board members: |
Maria Martha Bernardi;
Luciano Freitas Felicio;
Frederico Azevedo da Costa Pinto
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| Advisor: | Maria Martha Bernardi |
| Abstract | |
The lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is an endotoxin of gram-negative bacteria used experimentally to stimulate inflammatory processes and activate the immune system through the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines in the central nervous system (CNS). The experimental administration of the LPS in pregnant rats results in changes that can be viewed both in animals subjected to the treatment and the offspring of these females. The aim of this study was to verify the changes related to learning and memory in male offspring of rats submitted to LPS during gestation. It was administered LPS (100mg/kg) in 9,5th day of pregnant of Wistar rats. This work has investigates the effects of this administration in recognition of animals using the olfaction in childhood and adulthood as well as levels of neurotransmitters in the olfactory bulb. The general activity of the animals was analyzed in the open field task and also the behavior in the elevated pluz maze. The learning process of the animals was observed in the Skinner box and also studied animal objects recognition. The levels of neurotransmitters of hippocampus were also analyzed. The results showed that the administration of LPS on 9,5 gestation day caused: (1) decrease of the smell recognition in childhood and do not remains in adulthood; (2) decrease in levels of dopamine in the olfactory bulb of the animals treated; (3) not interfered in general activity of animals when compared with the control group; (4) there was no difference in the acquisition of learning but presented decrease in time reversal of learning; (5) did not make differences in recognition of the new objects as well as not submitted changes in levels of neurotransmitters in hippocampus compared to the group control. These data suggest that maternal infection can interfere in the intrauterine environment and thus interfere with development and activity of the SNC (AU) | |