ETHOLOGICAL REACTIONS IN F2 WEANING FEMALE AND MALE RATS INFLUENCED BY DIFFERENT DOSES OF GERMANIUM CITRATE

Abstract

The paper considers the condition of emotional and behavioral responses on growth and development of 40-days F2 rats, while weaning them from their mothers, by the exposure of 10, 20 and 200 mcg Ge / kg b.w. doses of Germanium (Ge) citrate. Behavioral characteristics and emotionality were assessed using an «open-field» test, which is widely used in modern neurophysiological experiment. The results of the studies indicate that the animals, which used to drink Germanium citrate, noted a smaller, overall intensity of locomotion, except for males which were given 10 μg Ge/kg b.w., in relation to control group, which may indicate an increased anxiety of animals in an unusual environment caused by exposure to Germanium citrate. The results of the orienting research reaction, determined by the “hole-to-open” test, indicate that both sexes animals, which were exposed by 10 μg Ge / kg b.w., noted the increasing of their activity. When exposed to 20 μg Ge / kg b.w., a decrease in the above mentioned indicator was observed. During the exposure of the highest dose of Germanium citrate, 200 mcg Ge/kg bw, the females reacted with a slight increase, and males with a decrease in cognitive activity. Therefore, the study of the orientational research activity of animals indicates about dose-depended and inter-sex differences in the level of the «hole» reflex. When exposed by 10 μg Ge/kg b.w., animals of all research groups, except males, noted lower level and duration of grooming, compared with the indices of the intact animals. This cosmetic behavior, as a factor of emotionality, is sensitive to stress and various pharmacological manipulations. As for retioning, this index was higher than control in both sexes animals, which were exposed with 20 and 200 μg Ge/kg b. w., except the animals which were given the lowest concentration (10 μg Ge/kg b.w.) Ge citrate. The results of the clambing study, as another test of the rat's motor and research activity, indicate that females of all study groups and males, when they were exposed to 10 and 200 μg Ge/kg b. w., observed the higher its level, than that of the intact animals. Therefore, in most animals the use of Germanium citrate results the higher level of vertical activity. When using different doses of Germanium citrate, in females less or equal to the control number of boluses were noted, but males observed quite noticeable increase of this index which was although statistically incredible. A high level of bowel movements indicates an excessively high emotionality of the animal. During testing no abnormal movements were observed in both sexes animals, and both control and experimental groups.