Effects of in utero exposure to Tityus bahiensis scorpion venom in adult rats.
The toxicity of Tityus bahiensis scorpion venom is well known, but there are little data about the damage in offspring of dams that were exposed to the venom during pregnancy. The objective of this work was to determine the toxic effects of venom in adult offspring of Wistar rats exposed to venom in utero. Dams were divided into a control group, subcutaneously injected with saline solution on the 10th (GD10) and 16th (GD16) days, and two experimental groups, subcutaneously injected with venom (2.5mg/kg) on GD10 or GD16, respectively. Adult offspring were evaluated according to behavioral development and neuronal integrity in the hippocampus. Tests performed in the activity box and in the enriched environment demonstrated that males from GD10 had motor decrease. Females from GD10 showed a depressive-like state and were more anxious, as demonstrated by the forced swimming test and social interaction. The plus-maze discriminative avoidance task demonstrated that GD16 males had lower levels of anxiety. The number of neuronal cells was decreased in CA1, CA3 and CA4 hippocampal areas of males and females from GD10 group and in CA1 of females and CA4 of males from GD16 group. Thus, we conclude that venom exposure in pregnant dams causes subtle alteration in the behavioral and neuronal development of offspring in adult life in a gender-dependent manner.
Dorce
Ana Leticia Coronado
AL
Laboratory of Pharmacology, Butantan Institute, 05503-900, São Paulo, São Paulo State, Brazil. analeticia@butantan.gov.br
Dorce
Valquiria Abrão Coronado
VA
Nencioni
Ana Leonor Abrahão
AL
D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D016923:Cell Death / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000503:physiopathology; D002658:Developmental Disabilities / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000503:physiopathology; D009410:Nerve Degeneration / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D020258:Neurotoxicity Syndromes / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects / Q000503:physiopathology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012604:Scorpion Venoms / Q000633:toxicity*; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D012737:Sex Factors
D012604:Scorpion Venoms; C003609:tityustoxin