Alterations in CNS Functions and DNA Methylation in Rats after 24 h Exposure to Peat Smoke

The use of a developed experimental model of a natural fire made it possible to assess the consequences of 24 h exposure to peat combustion products in albino rats. Peat smoke exposure leads to behavioral disturbances in rats, characterized by an increase in locomotor activity and an increased level of anxiety. Indicators of brain bioelectrical activity of the exposed animals supported the state of anxiety and psychoemotional stress. Epigenetic changes in the blood cells of exposed animals were revealed under 24 h exposure to peat smoke, characterized by a decrease in the level of global DNA methylation.

Effects prenatal exposure to peat smoke on the emotional behavior of rat offspring and its correction with fabomotizole

Relevance. Long-term smoke from forest fires cause a wide range of health disorders, including somatic state, emotional status, and cognitive functions. The question of the consequences of exposure to combustion products of peat and wood during pregnancy for offspring remains open. Intention. The goal is to explore the disorders (anxiety, reflex behavior, aggression, etc.) that occur in the offspring of rats exposed to peat smoke in the early and late postnatal periods and the effect of fabomotizole on these disorders. Methodology. The research was conducted on the offspring of rats of both sexes from females forcibly exposed to peat smoke (1-20 days). The effect of peat smoke on rats and the protective effect of fabomotizole (1 and 10 mg / kg / 20 days of gestation) were studied in the early (5 days) and late (60-80 days) postnatal periods. The formation of the sensory-motor reflex, anxiety, aggression, and motor activity were assessed. Results and discussion. Exposure to peat smoke of pregnant females (from 1-20 days of gestation) causes a perturb in the formation of a sensory-motor reflex in the early postnatal period ( 5 days), a decrease in the level of natural adaptive reactions and intraspecific aggression, as well as an increase in locomotor activity in mature animals (60-80 days). Fabomotizole, when administered prenatally (1-20 days of gestation) at doses of 1 and 10 mg / kg, corrected the formation of a conditioned sensory-motor reflex in male and female rat pups, data of the emotional status and motor activity of sexually mature animals. Conclusion. The protective effect of fabomotizole on the offspring of rats prenatally exposed to peat smoke from the toxic effects of peat combustion products was revealed. Fabomotizole returns the studied behavioral reactions, disturbed by peat, to the level of the physiological norm, which confirms the previously established cyto- and neuroprotective properties of the drug.