title: Effects of tartrazine on exploratory behavior in a three-generation toxicity study in mice.
abstract: Tartrazine was given to mice in the diet at levels of 0 (control), 0.05%, 0.15%, and 0.45% from 5 weeks of age of the F(0) generation to 9 weeks of age of the F(2) generation, and selected reproductive and neurobehavioral parameters were measured. In the F(1) generation, the development of swimming direction at postnatal day (PND) 7 was accelerated significantly in male offspring in a dose-related manner. Surface righting at PND 7 was affected significantly in female offspring in dose-related manner. Several variables in exploratory behavior showed significant tendencies to be affected in the treatment groups in male offspring at 3 weeks of age. In the F(2) generation, the development of swimming direction at PND 7 was accelerated significantly in the high-dosed group in male offspring. Time taken of olfactory orientation at PND 14 was accelerated significantly in male offspring in a dose-related manner. Several variables in exploratory behavior showed significant tendencies to be affected in the treatment groups in male offspring at 3 weeks of age, and in males at 8 weeks of age. The dose levels of tartrazine in the present study produced a few adverse effects on neurobehavioral parameters throughout generations in mice.
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Health and Toxicology, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Public Health, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, Japan. t-tanaka@poohlover.net
authors.forename: Toyohito
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: Osamu
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: Shinshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Oishi
authors.forename: Akio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ogata
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005106:Exploratory Behavior / Q000187:drug effects*; D005260:Female; D005505:Food Coloring Agents / Q000633:toxicity*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000503:physiopathology; D012098:Reproduction / Q000187:drug effects; D013645:Tartrazine / Q000633:toxicity*; D036401:Toxicity Tests, Chronic
chemical_list: D005505:Food Coloring Agents; D013645:Tartrazine