Effects of developmental fluoride exposure on rat ultrasonic vocalization, acoustic startle reflex and pre-pulse inhibition

P. Flace*, V. Benagiano*, D. Vermesan”, R. Sabatini**, A.M. Inchingolo, P. Auteri^, G. Ambrosi*, A. Tarullo, R. Cagiano

Department of Pharmacology and Human Physiology; *Department of Human Anatomy and Histology “R. Amprino” and **Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical School, University of Bari, Bari (Italy) ^Unit of Ophtalmology – General Hospital, Matera (Italy) “University of Medicine and Pharmacy “Victor Babes”, Timisoara (Romania)

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• Pharmacology

Abstract. – Rats receiving fluoride during the whole pregnancy up to the 9th day of lactation showed, when isolated at 10th day of life, a reduced rate of ultrasonic vocalizations (UV) in male pups (NaF 5.0 mg) and, in 90th days male rats, an increase of the Pre-Pulse Inhibition (PPI) with a reduction of the Peak response to the Startle stimulus given alone. Newborn rat reactivity could represent a useful and validated model in anxiety studies which could be moored with the Acoustic Startle Reflex (ASR) and PPI, appropriate models to study, in adulthood, particular neurological and psychiatric disorders showing deficits in attention and sensory-motor gating (Tourettes’ syndrome, obsessive compulsive disorders, Huntington’s disease and schizophrenia).

Corresponding Author: Raffaele Cagiano, MD; e-mail: r.cagiano@farmacol.uniba.it

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