Table 8.
Behavior of mice fed with mercury-containing diets in the cross maze test. a
| Diet (Hg dose in food expressed in ng/g) | ||||
| Behavioral measures | Control diet (n = 6) | 5.4 (n = 8) | 62 (n = 8) | 520 (n = 8) |
| Number of entries into open arms, % | 28 ± 3.5 | **13.7 ± 4.2 | *21 ± 2.6 | 26.3 ± 3 |
| Time spent in open arms, % | 20.4 ± 2.9 | *7.7 ± 2.9 | *8.7 ± 1.6 | 14.7 ± 3.8 |
| Time spent at the extremity of open arms, (sec) | 30.9 ± 8.7 | *13.4 ± 6.8 | *14.6 ± 3.4 | 23.6 ± 8.7 |
| Number of entries into closed arms, % | 71.5 ± 4.2 | **86.3 ± 4.2 | *79 ± 2.6 | 73.7 ± 3 |
| Time spent in closed arms, % | 41.4 ± 2.8 | **61.5 ± 4.3 | **61 ± 2.6 | 49.4 ± 3.9 |
| Time spent at the extremity of closed arms, (sec) | 112.4 ± 13.6 | **159.1 ± 14.2 | **158.3 ± 8.5 | 116.5 ± 11.2 |
| Time spent in center, % | 38.3 ± 2 | *31 ± 2.2 | **30.2 ± 1.7 | 36.3 ± 1.7 |
a Results are expressed as the mean ± SE. Significant differences are indicated by an asterisk (p < 0.05), or two (p < 0.01).