Effects of 3-nitropropionic acid in rats: general toxicity and functional neurotoxicity.
3-Nitropropionic acid (3-NP) causes biochemical and morphological alterations in human and animal brain. Young adult male Wistar rats received 3-NP i. p. on five consecutive days and were investigated four weeks later (subacute treatment). Acute effects were investigated 24 h after one i. p. dose. Spontaneous or stimulus-evoked activity was recorded from cortical sensory foci, from subcortical nuclei and from the tail nerve, in urethane anesthesia. The subacutely treated rats were dissected and organ weights measured to study general toxic effects. After subacute treatment, decrease was seen in the theta, and increase in the beta-2 and gamma, band of the spontaneous activity, dissimilarly in the cortical vs. subcortical sites. Latency of the sensory evoked potentials increased in all sensory foci after subacute treatment. Following acute treatment, amplitude of the somatosensory evoked potential decreased. The weight of the thymus decreased significantly in the treated rats. Further studies could elucidate the link between biochemical effects of 3-NP and the observed functional neurotoxic changes.
Szabó
Andrea
A
Department of Public Health, University of Szeged, Hungary. szaboa@puhe.szote.u-szeged.hu
Papp
András
A
Nagymajtényi
László
L
D000818:Animals; D005071:Evoked Potentials / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D020258:Neurotoxicity Syndromes / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D009574:Nitro Compounds / Q000633:toxicity*; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D011422:Propionates / Q000633:toxicity*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
D009574:Nitro Compounds; D011422:Propionates; C015392:3-nitropropionic acid