Neurofunctional effects of developmental sodium fluoride exposure in rats.
Contrasting studies on the toxic effects of sodium fluoride (NaF) during developmental stages of Wistar rats, lead us to investigate the neurofunctional effects caused by its perinatal exposure, devoid of any overt sign of toxicity and/or gross malformation. NaF solution was administered to pregnant rats by intragastric gavage at a daily dose of 2.5 and 5.0 mg/kg from gestational day 0 to day 9 after parturition. Developmental NaF exposure caused sex and dose specific behavioural deficits which affected males more than females in the majority of the evaluated end-points. In particular, the perinatal exposure to NaF 5.0 mg/kg, significantly affected learning, memory, motor coordination and blood pressure only in male rats. Conversely, a lack of habituation upon the second presentation of the objects and failure in the ability to discriminate between the novel and the familiar object were observed only in NaF 5.0 mg/kg female rats. Finally, a significant impairment of sexual behaviour was observed in male rats at both NaF dose levels. The present data indicate that perinatal rat exposure to NaF results in long lasting functional sex-specific alterations which occur at fluoride levels approaching those experienced by offspring of mothers.
Bera
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Lucian Blaga University, Medical School, Sibiu, Romania.
Sabatini
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R
Auteri
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P
Flace
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P
Sisto
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G
Montagnani
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M
Potenza
M A
MA
Marasciulo
F L
FL
Carratu
M R
MR
Coluccia
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A
Borracci
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P
Tarullo
A
A
Cagiano
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R
D000818:Animals; D001362:Avoidance Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects*; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D002327:Cariostatic Agents / Q000633:toxicity*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005106:Exploratory Behavior / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006185:Habituation, Psychophysiologic / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000187:drug effects; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012737:Sex Factors; D012726:Sexual Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects; D012969:Sodium Fluoride / Q000633:toxicity*; D013997:Time Factors; D014828:Vocalization, Animal / Q000187:drug effects
D002327:Cariostatic Agents; D012969:Sodium Fluoride