Skip to main content
Log in

Effects of early noise exposure on hippocampal-dependent behaviors during adolescence in male rats: influence of different housing conditions

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Animal Cognition Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Central nervous system (CNS) development is a very complex process that can be altered by environmental stimuli such as noise, which can generate long-term auditory and/or extra-auditory impairments. We have previously reported that early noise exposure can induce hippocampus-related behavioral alterations in postnatal day (PND) 28 adolescent rats. Furthermore, we recently found biochemical modifications in the hippocampus (HC) of these animals that seemed to endure even in more mature animals (i.e. PND35) and that have not been studied along with behavioral correlates. Thus, the aim of this work was to reveal novel data about the effects of early noise exposure on hippocampal-dependent behaviors in more mature animals. Additionally, extended enriched environment (EE) housing was evaluated to determine its capacity to induce behavioral modifications, either by its neuroprotective ability or the greater stimulation that it generates. Male Wistar rats were exposed to different noise schemes at PND7 or PND15. Upon weaning, some animals were transferred to EE whereas others were kept in standard cages. At PND35, different hippocampal-dependent behavioral assessments were performed. Results showed noise-induced behavioral changes that differed according to the scheme and age of exposure used. In addition, housing in an EE was effective either in preventing some of these changes or in inducing the appearance of new behavioral modifications. These findings suggest that CNS development would be sensitive to the effects of different type of environmental stimuli such as noise or enriched housing, leading to maladaptive behavioral changes that last even until adolescence.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8

Similar content being viewed by others

Availability of data and material

The data that support the findings of this study are available on request from the corresponding author SJM.

Abbreviations

CNS:

Central nervous system

EE:

Enriched environment

EPM:

Elevated plus maze

HC:

Hippocampus

IA:

Inhibitory avoidance

N1/N5:

Exposure schemes: 1 day and 5 days, respectively

OF:

Open field

PND7:

Rats exposed to noise at 7 days of age

PND15:

Rats exposed to noise at 15 days of age

ROS:

Reactive oxygen species

St:

Standard cage

References

Download references

Acknowledgements

We thank Marcela Vázquez, Eduardo Nieves and Enzo Cuba for their helpful assistance in the care of laboratory animals.

Funding

This work was supported by the Universidad de Buenos Aires [20020160100005BA and 20020190100222BA]; Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas [PIP 00323]. SJM is a post-graduate CONICET fellowship and GEB is a post-graduate UBA fellowship.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Contributions

Experimental design: SJM and LRG. Experiment implementation: SJM, AEL, CSCC and GEB. Experimental interpretation: SJM and LRG. Writing of the manuscript: SJM and LRG.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Sonia Jazmín Molina.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

Authors state that there are no conflicts of interest.

Ethics approval

The present experimental protocol was approved by this Committee and registered with the number 53679/16. The CICUAL adheres to the rules of the “Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals” (NIH) (2011 revision) and to the EC Directive 86/609/EEC (2010 revision) for animal experiments.

Consent to participate

Not applicable.

Consent for publication

All authors contributed to the study and approved the manuscript for publication.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Supplementary Information

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Molina, S.J., Lietti, Á.E., Carreira Caro, C.S. et al. Effects of early noise exposure on hippocampal-dependent behaviors during adolescence in male rats: influence of different housing conditions. Anim Cogn 25, 103–120 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10071-021-01540-1

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10071-021-01540-1

Keywords

Navigation