Abstract
Adult male rats were tested for acquisition and retention of step-down passive avoidance following exposure to either distilled water contaminated with cobalt chloride (Group Cobalt) or uncontaminated distilled water (Group Control). Exposure to 20 mg cobalt/kg body weight per day, for 57 days, produced significantly greater step-down passive-avoidance latencies during retention testing in Group Cobalt relative to controls. Analyses of passive-avoidance-acquisition data, analgesic-tolerance test results, and body weights produced no significant group differences. Significant accumulations of cobalt were detected in blood, brain, and left testis of treated animals.
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The research reportedin this articlewasconducted underthe auspices of the University Undergraduate Fellows Program at Texas A&M University.Weare grateful to Dorothy Bakerand Mike Hare for their assistance in the analyses of this study, and to Scott Weigold for his invaluable moral support and technical asssistance.
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Bourg, W.J., Nation, J.R. & Clark, D.E. The effects of chronic cobalt exposure on passive-avoidance performance in the adult rat. Bull. Psychon. Soc. 23, 527–530 (1985). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03329874
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03329874