title: Pesticides induce spatial memory deficits with synaptic impairments and an imbalanced tau phosphorylation in rats.
abstract: Pesticides are widely used in agriculture, and epidemiological studies suggest that pesticide exposure is a risk factor for Alzheimer's disease (AD), but the mechanisms are elusive. Here, we studied the effects of pesticide exposure on the cognitive ability and the underlying mechanisms in rats. Deltamethrin and carbofuran were administered respectively into the rats once a day for 28 days by gavage. We found that pesticide exposure induced spatial learning and memory deficits with a simultaneous decrease of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor 1, synaptophysin, and synapsin I, all of which are memory-related synaptic proteins. Pesticide exposure also induced tau hyperphosphorylation at multiple AD-related phosphorylation sites with activation of glycogen synthase kinase-3β and inhibition of protein phosphatase-2A. Additionally, neuron loss in the hippocampus and cortex was observed upon administration of the pesticides. These results indicate that the pesticides exposure could induce AD-like pathology and cognitive abnormality in rats.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathophysiology, Key Laboratory of Chinese Ministry of Education for Neurological Diseases, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, PR China.
authors.forename: Ning-Ning
authors.initials: NN
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Dan-Ju
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.forename: Xiu-Qing
authors.initials: XQ
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.forename: Cong
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Qun
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Jian-Zhi
authors.initials: JZ
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Gong-Ping
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D002235:Carbofuran / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000633:toxicity*; D007306:Insecticides / Q000633:toxicity*; D008297:Male; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000187:drug effects*; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000139:chemically induced*; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D009570:Nitriles / Q000633:toxicity*; D010766:Phosphorylation / Q000187:drug effects; D011722:Pyrethrins / Q000633:toxicity*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate / Q000378:metabolism; D013569:Synapses / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D016704:Synapsins / Q000378:metabolism; D016708:Synaptophysin / Q000378:metabolism; D016875:tau Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D007306:Insecticides; C409466:NR1 NMDA receptor; D009570:Nitriles; D011722:Pyrethrins; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate; D016704:Synapsins; D016708:Synaptophysin; D016875:tau Proteins; C017180:decamethrin; D002235:Carbofuran