Early exposure to aluminium affects eight-arm maze performance and hippocampal nerve growth factor levels in adult mice.
Aluminium has been implicated in the etiology of several human pathologies but, to date, little attention has been given to the potential damage caused by gestational exposure to aluminium or to any long-term effect of early exposure. Aluminium sulphate (200 mg/kg) was administered intraperitoneally to pregnant female mice (days 10 to 13 of gestation), and male progeny was assessed in a radial eight-arm maze task at 70 days (20 daily sessions, 50 microliters water as reward). Overall, aluminium-exposed mice performed less efficiently in the radial maze than the vehicle-exposed animals. Neurobiological data showed that aluminium mice also had a higher level of nerve growth factor in the hippocampal formation when compared to controls.
Santucci
D
D
Section of Behavioural Pathophysiology, Istituto Superiore di Sanitá, Roma, Italy.
Rankin
J
J
Laviola
G
G
Aloe
L
L
Alleva
E
E
D000535:Aluminum / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000633:toxicity*; D000818:Animals; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000201:enzymology; D002795:Choline O-Acetyltransferase / Q000378:metabolism; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D007274:Injections, Intraperitoneal; D007858:Learning / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors / Q000378:metabolism*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects
D009414:Nerve Growth Factors; D000535:Aluminum; D002795:Choline O-Acetyltransferase