title: Dicyclohexylphthalate causes hyperactivity in the rat concomitantly with impairment of tyrosine hydroxylase immunoreactivity.
abstract: Endocrine disruptors possibly exert effects on neuronal functions leading, in particular, to behavioural alterations. In this study, we examined the effects of dicyclohexylphthalate (DCHP), an endocrine disruptor, on rat behavioural and cellular responses. Single intracisternal administration of DCHP (0.87-87 nmol) into 5-day-old male Wistar rats caused significant hyperactivity at 4-5 weeks of age. It was about 1.4-fold more active in the nocturnal phase after administration of 87 nmol of DCHP than control rats (p < 0.001). The response had a tendency to be dose-dependent. Based on DNA macoarray analyses, DCHP down-regulated the levels of gene expression of the dopamine D4 receptor at 4 weeks old in both the midbrain and the striatum, and the dopamine transporter in the midbrain at 8 weeks old 1.7- to 2-fold. The gene expression of several subtypes of glutamate receptors was facilitated in the striatum at 4 weeks old and in the midbrain at 8 weeks old. Some normalization and/or compensatory changes seemed to occur in gene expression of GABA or glycine transmission. Furthermore, DCHP abolished immunoreactivity of tyrosine hydroxylase in the substantia nigra at 8 weeks of age, where TUNEL-positive cells were seen. We conclude that DCHP affected the developing rat brain, resulting in hyperactivity, probably as a result of degeneration of mesencephalic tyrosine hydroxylase rather than alteration of the level of gene expression.
authors.affiliation: National Institute for Environmental Studies, Tsukuba, Japan. ishidou@nies.go.jp
authors.forename: Masami
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ishido
authors.forename: Yoshinori
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Masuo
authors.forename: Junko
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sayato-Suzuki
authors.forename: Syuichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Oka
authors.forename: Etsuo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Niki
authors.forename: Masatoshi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Morita
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects; D002452:Cell Count / Q000379:methods; D016923:Cell Death / Q000187:drug effects; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling / Q000379:methods; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / Q000187:drug effects*; D006948:Hyperkinesis / Q000139:chemically induced*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000379:methods; D020287:In Situ Nick-End Labeling / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008636:Mesencephalon / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D009498:Neurotoxins / Q000633:toxicity*; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis / Q000379:methods; D010507:Periodicity; D010795:Phthalic Acids / Q000633:toxicity*; D011247:Pregnancy; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D009498:Neurotoxins; D010795:Phthalic Acids; C036042:dicyclohexyl phthalate; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase