title: Gestational and lactational exposure to atrazine via the drinking water causes specific behavioral deficits and selectively alters monoaminergic systems in C57BL/6 mouse dams, juvenile and adult offspring.
abstract: Atrazine (ATR) is one of the most frequently detected pesticides in the U.S. water supply. This study aimed to investigate neurobehavioral and neurochemical effects of ATR in C57BL/6 mouse offspring and dams exposed to a relatively low (3 mg/l, estimated intake 1.4 mg/kg/day) concentration of ATR via the drinking water (DW) from gestational day 6 to postnatal day (PND) 23. Behavioral tests included open field, pole, grip strength, novel object recognition (NOR), forced swim, and marble burying tests. Maternal weight gain and offspring (PND21, 35, and 70) body or brain weights were not affected by ATR. However, ATR-treated dams exhibited decreased NOR performance and a trend toward hyperactivity. Juvenile offspring (PND35) from ATR-exposed dams were hyperactive (both sexes), spent less time swimming (males), and buried more marbles (females). In adult offspring (PND70), the only behavioral change was a sex-specific (females) decreased NOR performance by ATR. Neurochemically, a trend toward increased striatal dopamine (DA) in dams and a significant increase in juvenile offspring (both sexes) was observed. Additionally, ATR exposure decreased perirhinal cortex serotonin in the adult female offspring. These results suggest that perinatal DW exposure to ATR targets the nigrostriatal DA pathway in dams and, especially, juvenile offspring, alters dams' cognitive performance, induces sex-selective changes involving motor and emotional functions in juvenile offspring, and decreases cognitive ability of adult female offspring, with the latter possibly associated with altered perirhinal cortex serotonin homeostasis. Overall, ATR exposure during gestation and lactation may cause adverse nervous system effects to both offspring and dams.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, College of Veterinary Medicine Interdisciplinary Toxicology Program, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602 filipov@uga.edu.
authors.forename: Zhoumeng
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, College of Veterinary Medicine Interdisciplinary Toxicology Program, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602 filipov@uga.edu.
authors.forename: Celia A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Dodd
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, College of Veterinary Medicine Interdisciplinary Toxicology Program, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602 filipov@uga.edu.
authors.forename: Shuo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Xiao
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, College of Veterinary Medicine.
authors.forename: Saritha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Krishna
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, College of Veterinary Medicine Interdisciplinary Toxicology Program, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602.
authors.forename: Xiaoqin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Ye
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, College of Veterinary Medicine Interdisciplinary Toxicology Program, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602 filipov@uga.edu.
authors.forename: Nikolay M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Filipov
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000378:metabolism / Q000523:psychology; D000818:Animals; D001280:Atrazine / Q000633:toxicity*; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects*; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism*; D060766:Drinking Water / Q000737:chemistry*; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D007774:Lactation; D008297:Male; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000523:psychology; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D060766:Drinking Water; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D001280:Atrazine; D004298:Dopamine
keywords: atrazine; behavior; developmental neurotoxicity; dopamine; pesticides