title: Increased spontaneous motor activity in offspring after maternal cadmium exposure during lactation.
abstract: Lactating rats were exposed to 0, 5 or 25ppm cadmium as cadmium chloride in the drinking water. A battery of neurobehavioural tests was applied to the male offspring after weaning at 5 weeks until 4 months of age. The mean cadmium levels in exposed pup kidneys ranged from 0.006 to 0.030mg/kg wet weight at weaning, with the corresponding maternal kidney cadmium levels ranging from 4 to 13mg/kg wet weight. Significantly increased activity during the initial 20min of the spontaneous motor activity test was observed in the highest-dose group compared to the control group. The activity outcome was significantly positively correlated with cadmium levels in the pup kidneys. No cadmium-related changes in performance were observed in the Morris water maze, the E-shaped maze or the elevated plus-maze. The results indicate that neurobehavioural effects during development may be a more sensitive parameter for Cd toxicity than renal dysfunction.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Box 573, SE-751 23 Uppsala, Sweden; Research and Development Department, Toxicology Division, National Food Administration, Box 622, SE-751 26 Uppsala, Sweden.
authors.forename: Kierstin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Petersson Grawé
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Teiling-Gårdlund
authors.forename: Elisabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Jalkesten
authors.forename: Agneta
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Oskarsson