Honors College Theses

Publication Date

2026

Major

Psychology (B.S.)

Release Option

Open Access

Faculty Mentor

Dr. Joshua Herrington

Abstract

Recent evidence in comparative animal models suggests that early life exposure to elevated inflammation (via LPS exposure) and oxidative stress (via acetaminophen exposure) may synergistically interact to alter typical neurodevelopmental trajectories, resulting in lasting effects on both behavior and gut-brain neurochemistry. The current study observed emotional and motor behaviors and collected fecal-boli to measure Tyrosine (TE) levels in male and female Long-Evans (Rattus norvegicus) rats. Subjects were either treated with [1] saline [2] lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to introduce an inflammatory state, [3] acetaminophen (APAP) to introduce oxidative stress, or [4] a dual-hit of both LPS + APAP on postnatal day (PD) 9, 11, and 13. The exposure time-window was selected because it represents explosive neuronal growth of the dopaminergic system and is vulnerable to perturbation with potentially lifelong effects on rat behavior and physiology. A classic Open Field Test (OFT) was employed to measure anxiety-like behavior, activity, and locomotor activity on PD 45. Our preliminary results show a main effect of APAP treatment on activity and anxiety-like behaviors and suggest a shift in dopaminergic function in adult rats following treatment during the perinatal period. As part of an ongoing study, TE levels will be measured in fecal boli samples collected during weanling, juvenile, and adult phases as a proxy for gut-brain dopaminergic regulation. We predict altered tyrosine levels in our groups treated with LPS or APAP throughout the lifespan.

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