In utero and lactational exposure to 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin decreases serotonin-immunoreactive neurons in raphe nuclei of male mouse offspring.
Female ddY mice were administered 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) by gavage for 8 weeks prior to pregnancy. In the male breast-fed offspring born to the TCDD-exposed mice, serotonergic neurons in the brainstem were examined using an immunocytochemical method at 42 days of age. In all offspring, a marked decrease in the intensity of immunostaining occurred in all raphe nuclei compared with the control offspring. The number of serotonin-immunoreactive neurons in each raphe nucleus was measured by computer-assisted analysis. Approximately a quarter to half of immunoreactive neurons were detected in the TCDD-exposed offspring raphe nuclei compared with the control offspring. The present findings suggest that in utero and/or lactational TCDD exposure cause a long-lasting change in the serotonergic system in the raphe nuclei of offspring.
Kuchiiwa
Satoshi
S
Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Kagoshima University, Sakuragaoka 8-35-1, Kagoshima 890-8520, Japan. kuchiiwa@m.kufm.kagoshima-u.ac.jp
Cheng
Shi Bin
SB
Nagatomo
Itsugi
I
Akasaki
Yasuaki
Y
Uchida
Masahiro
M
Tominaga
Masataka
M
Hashiguchi
Wataru
W
Kuchiiwa
Toshiko
T
D000374:Aggression / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000633:toxicity*; D005260:Female; D007774:Lactation; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008817:Mice, Mutant Strains; D009474:Neurons / Q000737:chemistry*; D000072317:Polychlorinated Dibenzodioxins / Q000633:toxicity*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D011903:Raphe Nuclei / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D012701:Serotonin / Q000032:analysis*; D013723:Teratogens / Q000633:toxicity*
D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D000072317:Polychlorinated Dibenzodioxins; D013723:Teratogens; D012701:Serotonin