Environmental contaminants & neuroecology of reproductive behavior

本项目旨在研究PCB同系物2,4,2‘，4四氯联苯和3,4,3’，4'四氯联苯（tcb）对实验大鼠母性行为和性行为的影响。初步观察表明，用TCBs治疗怀孕大鼠会产生干扰正常母性行为表现的行为效应。实验包括第一部分提出的关于tcb这些行为影响的内分泌和神经化学原因的检验假设。具体来说，这项工作研究了妊娠和哺乳期的激素如何调节tcb对从实质黑质到基底神经节的多巴胺能通路的毒性作用。提案的第二部分侧重于产前和新生儿接触tcb对女性性行为发展的影响。这里测试的中心假设是tcb通过影响多巴胺能系统的发育来阻止正常性行为的发展。这些多巴胺能通路负责女性性行为的动机和运动方面。这项工作利用了敏感的行为解剖学和神经化学方法，预期的结果将大大扩展我们对环境污染物对大脑功能和行为的影响的理解。这项工作也开始区分tcb对发育中的神经系统的直接作用与孕产妇护理质量变化的间接结果之间的发育影响。

This project is designed to investigate the effects of PCB congeners of PCB congeners 2,4,2',4 tetrachlorobiphenyl and 3,4,3',4' tetrachlorobiphenyl (TCBs) on the maternal and sexual behaviors of laboratory rats. Preliminary observations indicate that treatment of pregnant rats with TCBs produce behavioral effects that interfere with the display of normal maternal behavior. The experiments included in the first part of the proposal test hypothesis about the endocrine and neurochemical causes of these behavioral effects of TCBs. Specifically, the work investigates how the hormones of pregnancy and lactation modulate the toxic effects of TCBs on the dopaminergic pathway from the substantial nigra to the basal ganglia. The second part of the proposal focuses on the effects of prenatal and neonatal exposure to TCBs on the development of female sexual behavior. The central hypothesis tested here is that TCBs prevent the development of normal sexual behavior by affecting the development of dopaminergic systems. These dopaminergic pathways are responsible for the motivational and motoric aspects of female sexual behavior. This work makes use of sensitive behavioral anatomical and neurochemical approaches and the anticipated results will greatly expand our understanding of the effects of environmental contaminants on brain function and behavior. This work also begins to differentiate between developmental effects of TCBs that are due to direct actions on the developing nervous system from those that are the indirect result of change sin the quality of maternal care.