title: Diphenyl ditelluride impairs short-term memory and alters neurochemical parameters in young rats.
abstract: The aim of this study was to investigate if maternal exposure to 0.03 mg/kg of diphenyl ditelluride (PhTe)2 during the first 14 days of lactational period in Wistar rats alters recognition memory and neurochemical parameters in young rats. Object recognition memory task, evaluation of synaptosomal [3H]glutamate uptake and release as well as cerebral Na+/K+ATPase activity were evaluated in 4 week-old rats. There were no significant specific overt signs of maternal intoxication. The body weight gain of rats was similar among groups. (PhTe)2-exposed group showed a significantly lower time exploring the novel object when compared to the performance of the control group in short-term memory (STM) test. In addition, (PhTe)2 significantly inhibited synaptosomal [3H]glutamate uptake and cerebral Na+/K+ATPase activity in animals. The synaptosomal [3H]glutamate release was similar between (PhTe)2 and control groups. In conclusion, the present study establishes that young rats presented cognitive impairment after exposure to (PhTe)2 via maternal milk, demonstrated by the performance of animals in object recognition memory task. The possible mechanism involved in (PhTe)2 action in memory of recognition might involve inhibition of cerebral Na+/K+ATPase activity and synaptosomal [3H]glutamate uptake.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Química, Centro de Ciências Naturais e Exatas, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, SM, RS, CEP 97105-900 Santa Maria, Brazil.
authors.forename: Eluza Curte
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Stangherlin
authors.forename: João Batista Teixeira
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Rocha
authors.forename: Cristina Wayne
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Nogueira
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001555:Benzene Derivatives / Q000633:toxicity*; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology; D001923:Brain Chemistry / Q000187:drug effects*; D005106:Exploratory Behavior / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D018698:Glutamic Acid / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000523:psychology; D008570:Memory, Short-Term / Q000187:drug effects*; D009942:Organometallic Compounds / Q000633:toxicity*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D021641:Recognition, Psychology / Q000187:drug effects; D000254:Sodium-Potassium-Exchanging ATPase / Q000378:metabolism; D013574:Synaptosomes / Q000187:drug effects; D014202:Tremor / Q000139:chemically induced
chemical_list: D001555:Benzene Derivatives; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; C434247:diphenylditelluride; D018698:Glutamic Acid; D000254:Sodium-Potassium-Exchanging ATPase