The protective action of tocopherol and acetylsalicylic acid on the behavior of rats treated with dioxins

Dioxins contribute to neurological disorders in humans and animals, causing also neurological disorders in offspring during prenatal and postnatal periods. These compounds significantly affect the development of the central nervous system (CNS) structures, which results in behavioral changes. Tocopherol (TCP) and acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) may provide protective measures to reduce the inflammatory effects in the CNS associated with free radicals generated by 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD), thus contributing to the reduction of the negative effects of dioxin. The main objective of this study was to determine the influence of dioxin on rats and their behavioral functions, and to ascertain whether a combined administration of TCP and ASA to rats treated with TCDD shows the possibility of potential protective effect on the functioning of the CNS. Experiments were performed on 75 female and 12 male Buffalo strain rats, which are offspring of females from particular study groups. TCDD was used in the experiments, TCP and ASA were administered orally every day for 3 weeks. Animals were subjected to behavioral testing: the tail and swimming tests. During the observation of the offspring of both sexes born to females exposed to TCDD, males did not demonstrate any attempt to swim, whereas in females, the immobility time was significantly extended. Assessing the response times from the tail test in the animals treated with dioxins in relation to the control group, it was demonstrated that the response time was extended in the 3rd measurement in both females and males. Dioxin is characterized by neurotoxic effect causing behavioral disorders associated with prolonged response times. The use of TCP after the administration of dioxins causes a significant reduction and improvement of reflex response times. In contrast, ASA reduces the reflex response times also in the offspring of females exposed to TCDD and ASA.