[Abstract Title]. - Society for Neuroscience

maternal rh5-HTTLPR on infant hair cortisol concentrations at month 6, with infants of l/l
mothers exhibiting higher cortisol values than those of l/s mothers. No effect of maternal
environment was found at month 6. The picture was reversed, however, at months 12 and 18: at
each of these time points there was no effect of maternal rh5-HTTLPR on infant hair cortisol, but
significant rearing effects did emerge for the subset of infants studied (month 12: p=0.02; month
18: p=0.01). At month 12, hair cortisol concentrations were lowest in PR and highest in SPR
infants; at month 18 hair cortisol concentrations were lowest in MPR and highest in SPR infants.
These results suggest that maternal genetics may strongly influence infant HPA activity early in
life, but that this effect is not long-lasting and that an infant‟s early life experience exerts
stronger influences on its long-term HPA activity later in infancy and into adolescence.
Disclosures: A.M. Dettmer, None; M.A. Novak, None; S.J. Suomi, None; J.S. Meyer, None.
Poster
281. Stress and the Brain: Early Life Experience I
Time: Sunday, November 16, 2008, 1:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Program#/Poster#: 281.17/NN31
Topic: E.06.e. Early life experience
Title: Harmful effects of close exposure of growing Wistar rats to telephone mast base station
Authors: *P. U. NWOHA, I. O. ALATISE, A. I. ACHUDUME;
Anat. & Cell Biol., Obafemi Awolowo Univ., Ile-Ife, Nigeria
Abstract: The study assessed the harmful effects of close exposure of young growing Wistar rats
to telephone mast base stations. Thirteen rats, 7 males and 6 females, weaned from their mothers
at day 25 were utilized for this work. Seven (4 males and 3 females) rats form the experimental
group, while 6 (2 males and 4 females) were the control. Animals in the experimental group were
housed in a cage and kept in a hut located 29.6 meters from two telephone mast base stations.
Control animals were similarly housed in a hut 5km away from a base station. Animals in both
groups were fed mouse chow and had free access to tap water. The animals were monitored in
there cages for behaviour and skin changes. Body weights were taken intermittently. On day 70,
behavioural studies were done using Y-maze, light/dark box, and open field. The animals were
also tested for reproductive performance by introducing freshly acquired fertile females into
male cages for 3 days. All animals were subsequently sacrificed and biochemical studies
conducted. Results showed heavy pigmentation of the skin of all male and one female rats in the
experimental group. None of the control animals was pigmented. All females mated by control
males became pregnant and delivered live litters, while none of those mated by experimental
males was pregnant. On the Y maze, the experimental rats committed significantly higher errors