Boomhower Steven R, Newland M Christopher
Auburn University, AL, United States.
Auburn University, AL, United States.
Neurotoxicology. 2016 Dec;57:136-144. doi: 10.1016/j.neuro.2016.09.016. Epub 2016 Sep 24.
The developing fetus is vulnerable to low-level exposure to methylmercury (MeHg), an environmental neurotoxicant, but the consequences of exposure during the adolescent period remain virtually unknown. The current experiments were designed to assess the effects of low-level MeHg exposure during adolescence on delay discounting, preference for small, immediate reinforcers over large, delayed ones, using a mouse model. Thirty-six male C57BL/6n mice were exposed to 0, 0.3, or 3.0ppm mercury (as MeHg) via drinking water from postnatal day 21 through 59, encompassing the murine adolescent period. As adults, mice lever pressed for a 0.01-cc droplet of milk solution delivered immediately or four 0.01-cc droplets delivered after a delay. Delays ranged from 1.26 to 70.79s, and all were presented within a session. A model based on the Generalized Matching Law indicated that sensitivity to reinforcer magnitude was lower for MeHg-exposed mice relative to controls, indicating that responding in MeHg-exposed mice was relatively indifferent to the larger reinforcer. Sensitivity to reinforcer delay was reduced (delay discounting was decreased) in the 0.3-ppm group, but not in the 3.0-ppm group, compared to controls. Adolescence is a developmental period during which the brain and behavior may be vulnerable to MeHg exposure. As with gestational MeHg exposure, the effects are reflected in the impact of reinforcing stimuli.
发育中的胎儿易受环境神经毒物甲基汞(MeHg)低水平暴露的影响,但青少年时期暴露的后果几乎仍不为人知。当前的实验旨在使用小鼠模型评估青少年时期低水平MeHg暴露对延迟折扣的影响,即对小的即时强化物相对于大的延迟强化物的偏好。36只雄性C57BL/6n小鼠从出生后第21天到59天通过饮用水暴露于0、0.3或3.0ppm汞(以MeHg形式),涵盖小鼠青少年时期。成年后,小鼠按压杠杆以获取立即递送的0.01cc滴的牛奶溶液或延迟后递送的四滴0.01cc滴的牛奶溶液。延迟时间从1.26秒到70.79秒不等,且所有延迟都在一个实验环节内呈现。基于广义匹配定律的模型表明,与对照组相比,MeHg暴露小鼠对强化物大小的敏感性较低,这表明MeHg暴露小鼠的反应对较大强化物相对不敏感。与对照组相比,0.3ppm组对强化物延迟的敏感性降低(延迟折扣减少),但3.0ppm组未出现这种情况。青少年时期是大脑和行为可能易受MeHg暴露影响的发育阶段。与孕期MeHg暴露一样,其影响体现在强化刺激的作用上。