WITHDRAWN: Gestational and lactational exposure to atrazine affects behavior and cognitive functions in Sprague-Dawley rats

Abstract

The persistence of atrazine in the environment has been linked to neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease. However, to date, there have been few specialized studies demonstrating the effects of atrazine on behavior, learning, and memory, particularly when exposure occurs during early neurodevelopmental stages. Here, using Sprague-Dawley rats, we investigated neurobehavioral and neurochemical effects associated with high and low doses of maternal atrazine exposure at various gestational and postnatal stages. Results indicated that although maternal weight gain and offspring body and brain weights were not significantly affected by atrazine, behavioral tests (including Morris water maze, shuttle box, step down and tensile tests) showed varying degrees of changes between experimental and control groups. Additionally, using transmission electron microscopy, alterations in the hippocampus and hypothalamus were found within affected offspring. Finally we investigated the effects of maternal atrazine exposure on the cAMP-PKA-CREB signaling pathway, as well as interactions between BAI1 and MDM2 on PSD-95 levels. Results suggested that atrazine exposure during gestation and lactation may affect behavioral and cognitive functions in offspring, and there is likely a gender interaction at different doses. In general, male offspring may be more susceptible to this exposure based on behavioral test observations.