Effects of Perinatal 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-P-Dioxin Exposure on Development of Taste Preference in Rat Offspring

2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-P-Dioxin (TCDD) is a highly toxic man-made chemical found ubiquitously in the environment. Maternal exposure to TCDD during pregnancy has been reported to induce deficits in higher brain functions of off-spring, such as working memory in a radial arm maze, operant responding in running wheels or two-lever chamber, and discrimination reversal learning [1-4]. We also reported that perinatal TCDD exposure influenced emotional learning, such as active avoidance learning, in young offspring rats [5]. Recently, Nguyen et al. investigated the effects of prenatal TCDD exposure on socio-emotional behaviors in offspring rats and found TCDD exposure induced social-interaction deficits in the male rats, and hyperactivity in female rats [6].