Sensorimotor developmental delays and lower anxiety in rats prenatally exposed to cadmium

Abstract

Pregnant rats were treated with 0.3 or 0.6 mg cadmium (CdCl2) kg(-1) injected subcutaneously on a daily basis from gestational day 7 to day 15 (organogenesis period). One control group was not injected and the other received saline. Offspring were tested for ontogeny of sensorimotor development and at 45 or 90 days of age for anxiety behavior. The study of sensorimotor development showed that gestational exposure to 0.6 mg Cd kg(-1) produced a delay in the development of the righting reflex and of the cliff aversion in the pups. No differences were observed in the development of the negative geotaxis, nor in the ages of eye and ear opening. Anxiety studies using an elevated plus maze showed a lower anxiety in all the offspring prenatally exposed to 0.6 mg Cd kg(-1) as these rats spent more time and entered the open arms more times compared with those of the other groups. The results demonstrate that exposure to low levels of Cd during organogenesis may modify some central nervous system functions.

The effect of dietary selenium supplementation on cadmium absorption and retention in suckling rats

“…Cadmium has been found to accumulate in the brain of newborn animals. Recent findings have revealed behavioural, neurochemical, and neurotoxicological changes in foetus and newborn rats exposed to Cd Petersson Grawé et al 2004a, b;Minetti and Reale 2006).…”

Cadmium and Selenium Interaction in Mammals

“…Stoga su i istraživanja učinaka Cd na mozak usmjerena većinom na to najranije razdoblje života. Rezultati istraživanja izloženosti Cd prije i/ili neposredno poslije rođenja upućuju na promjene u ponašanju te neurokemijske i neurotoksične promjene u mozgu pokusnih životinja (84)(85)(86)(87)(88). Postoji opravdana potreba istraživanja utjecaja Se kao mogućeg antagonista Cd u mozgu, jednako kao i u drugim organima, u najranijem razdoblju života sisavaca u koje spadaju i ljudi.…”

Effect of Selenium Pre-treatment on Antioxidative Enzymes and Lipid Peroxidation in Cd-exposed Suckling Rats

“…Kidney and brain Fig. 1 Body weights (g) of pups measured throughout the experiment (postnatal day=PND [6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15]. Each point represents the mean value for eight pups in the experimental group at respective PND GSH-Px followed the same pattern as the SOD.…”

“…In 2008, Grandjean et al [13] emphasized that developing brain was particularly sensitive to toxic exposure because of the increased risk of neurodegenerative diseases at older age. Animal studies clearly show a number of neurochemical, neurotoxicological, and behavioural changes associated with pre-and postnatal exposure to Cd [14][15][16][17]. The molecular mechanism of Cd-induced damage is still under investigation.…”