Effect of prenatal stress and extremely low-frequency electromagnetic fields on anxiety-like behavior in female rats: With an emphasis on prefrontal cortex and hippocampus

Abstract

Overview

The study explores the combined effect of prenatal stress and exposure to extremely low-frequency electromagnetic fields (ELF-EMF) on anxiety-like behavior in female rats, highlighting the implications on the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus.

Objective

The objective was to investigate how prenatal stress and ELF-EMF interact and influence anxiety-like behavior in rats.

Method

• 24 female rats aged 40 days were divided into four groups: control, stress, EMF, and EMF/stress.
• Behavioral assessments were performed using elevated plus-maze and open-field tests.

Findings

Key findings include:

• Increased anxiety-like behavior was observed in all treated groups, with the most severe behavior in the EMF/stress group.
• Expression of caspase-3 was upregulated in all groups in several brain regions, indicating neurodegenerative changes.
• Expression of BDNF and GAP-43 was downregulated, suggesting potential impaired synaptic plasticity.

Conclusion

Rats subjected to either prenatal stress or ELF-EMF exposure, alone or in combination, displayed significant anxiety-like behavior and neurodegeneration, specifically in the prefrontal cortex and the hippocampus.