title: Effects of arsenic exposure from drinking water on spatial memory, ultra-structures and NMDAR gene expression of hippocampus in rats.
abstract: Epidemiological investigations indicate that chronic arsenic exposure can damage neurobehavioral function in children. The present study was aimed to study the effects of arsenic exposure from drinking water on the spatial memory, and hippocampal ultra-structures and N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) gene expression in rats. Sprague-Dawley rats were assigned to four groups: rats in control group drank regular water, rats in other groups drank water with final arsenic concentration of 2.72 mg/L (group A), 13.6 mg/L (group B) and 68 mg/L (group C), respectively, for 3 months. The levels of arsenic in blood serum and hippocampus were monitored. Rats were tested in Morris water maze (MWM) for memory status. Samples of hippocampus were collected from two rats in each group for transmission electron microscopic study and the detection of NMDAR expression by RT-PCR. The rats in group C showed a significant delay in hidden platform acquisition. Neurons and endothelial cells presented pathological changes and the expression of NR2A was down-regulated in hippocampus in arsenic exposed rats. Our data indicated that arsenic exposure of 68 mg/L caused spatial memory damage, of which the morphological and biochemical bases could be the ultra-structure changes and reduced NR2A expression in hippocampus.
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Hygiene, College of Preventive Medicine, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400038, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Jiao-hua
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.forename: Zhi-qun
authors.initials: ZQ
authors.lastname: Qiu
authors.forename: Wei-qun
authors.initials: WQ
authors.lastname: Shu
authors.forename: Yong-yan
authors.initials: YY
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Liang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Ji-an
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018053:Arsenites / Q000097:blood / Q000633:toxicity*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000187:drug effects*; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D008297:Male; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D008568:Memory / Q000187:drug effects*; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate / Q000235:genetics*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D017670:Sodium Compounds / Q000097:blood / Q000633:toxicity*; D013037:Spatial Behavior / Q000187:drug effects*; D013997:Time Factors; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000097:blood / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D018053:Arsenites; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate; D017670:Sodium Compounds; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; C017947:sodium arsenite