Naslov
Behavioral characteristics of the offspring of adolescent rats

Autori
Zemunik, Tatijana ; Peruzović, Marijana ; Čapkun, Vesna ; Milković, Karmela

Izvornik
Brazilian Journal of Medical and Biological Research (0100-879X) 36 (2003), 4; 465-475

Vrsta, podvrsta i kategorija rada
Radovi u časopisima, članak, znanstveni

Ključne riječi
adolescence; pregnancy; behavior; learning and memory; emotionality

Sažetak
The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that, during adulthood, the offspring of adolescent rats differ in emotionality, learning and memory from the offspring of adult rats. The behavior of the offspring of adolescent (age, 50-55 days) and adult rats (age, 90-95 days) was tested in the open field, activity cage, and passive and active avoidance apparatus. The latencies during training and testing in the passive avoidance apparatus of the offspring of adolescent parents were shorter than the latencies of control offspring (p<0.001 on both training and testing days). Offspring of adolescent parents showed shorter latency time in acquisition trials during active avoidance testing compared to control offspring (p<0.001). They also showed a higher number of active avoidance response in the last four blocks of acquisition (p<0.001) and first two blocks of extinction trials (p<0.05 and p<0.001, respectively). The offspring of adolescent parents showed higher latency on the first day of testing in the open field (p<0.01) and lower latency on the third day of testing (p<0.01). They also showed higher activity during all three days of testing (1st and 2nd day: p<0.01, 3rd day: p<0.05). The spontaneous activity of the offspring of adolescent parents in the activity cage was higher in the last three intervals of testing (p<0.001). In summary, the offspring of the adolescent parents were less anxious and tended to be more active. The results of two learning and memory tests were opposite, but could be explained by a higher exploratory drive of the offspring of adolescent parents. This was probably due to chronic malnutrition stress and disturbed mother-infant relationship in the litters of adolescent mothers.

Izvorni jezik
Engleski

Znanstvena područja
Temeljne medicinske znanosti, Kliničke medicinske znanosti

POVEZANOST RADA