title: Anxiety in adult female mice following perinatal exposure to chlorpyrifos.
abstract: Epidemiologic studies suggested a possible link between prenatal exposure to organophosphate insecticides (OP) and long-term mental delay and some behavioral troubles. Experimental studies in rats and mice have confirmed that a relatively short exposure to low doses of OP such as chlorpyrifos (CPF) during specific perinatal periods decreased anxiety-like behaviors. In the present study, we report that chronic perinatal exposure (GD15-PND14) to low doses of CPF leads to an increase (and not a decrease) in anxiety-like behaviors of female mouse offspring. Pregnant or lactating female mice were exposed to CPF (0.2; 1; or 5 mg/kg day) by oral treatment during 18 consecutive days. Following a recovery period of several weeks, the anxiety of adult female offspring was determined using neurobehavioral tests (elevated plus-maze and light/dark box tests). Our results showed that CPF-exposed female offspring were more anxious than controls. In addition, the magnitude of anxiety profile alterations depended on the level of exposure to CPF during gestation and lactation with a maximal effect observed at the 1 mg/kg day dose. Our results confirm that OP exposure during the perinatal period can induce long-term alterations in mouse anxiety-like behaviors and suggest that the routes of administration and the duration of OP exposure during brain development may be factors to consider when studying the development of anxiety.
authors.affiliation: Physiologie Animale, Département des Sciences et Gestion de l'Environnement, Boulevard du Rectorat, 27. 4000 Liège 1, Belgium. jbbraquenier@gmail.com
authors.forename: Jean-Baptiste
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Braquenier
authors.forename: Etienne
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Quertemont
authors.forename: Ezio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tirelli
authors.forename: Jean-Christophe
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Plumier
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004390:Chlorpyrifos / Q000633:toxicity*; D002800:Cholinesterase Inhibitors / Q000633:toxicity; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004333:Drug Administration Routes; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D005260:Female; D007306:Insecticides / Q000009:adverse effects; D051379:Mice; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013995:Time
chemical_list: D002800:Cholinesterase Inhibitors; D007306:Insecticides; D004390:Chlorpyrifos