title: Determination of the effects on learning and memory performance and related gene expressions of clothianidin in rat models.
abstract: Clothianidin (CLO) is one of the pesticides used to protect against insects, and its potential toxic effects on cognitive functions are not clearly known. This study aims to evaluate the possible effects of dose-dependent CLO on learning and memory in infant and adult male rats and the expression of related genes in the hippocampus. Doses of 2, 8 and 24 mg/kg of CLO were administered to newborn infant and adult albino Winstar rats in the form of gavage and dissolved in vehicle matter. Their cognitive and learning functions were evaluated by the Morris water maze and probe tests. Expression levels of N-methyl D-aspartate 1 (GRIN1), muscuranic receptor M1, synoptophysin (SYP) and growth-associated protein 43 (GAP-43) of tissues isolated from the hippocampus were determined using the real-time PCR method. In the Morris water maze test, no change (p > 0.05) was exhibited in the adult and infant rats after CLO was applied, although there was a significant difference (p < 0.05) in performance between infants and the control group after 24 mg/kg was applied in the probe test. Also, expression levels GRIN1, M1, SYP, GAP-43 did not change when compared to the control (p > 0.05). Our study shows that exposure to high doses of CLO causes deterioration of cognitive functions in infant rats.
authors.affiliation: Neurology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Dicle University, Diyarbakir, Turkey.
authors.forename: Hasan Hüseyin
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Ozdemir
authors.affiliation: Medical Genetic Department, Faculty of Medicine, Mugla University, Mugla, Turkey.
authors.forename: Murat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kara
authors.affiliation: Medical Biology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Adiyaman University, Adiyaman, Turkey.
authors.forename: Onder
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Yumrutas
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics and Medical Informatics, Faculty of Medicine, Adiyaman University, Adiyaman, Turkey.
authors.forename: Fatih
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Uckardes
authors.affiliation: Physicology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Firat University, Elazig, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ersin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Eraslan
authors.affiliation: Neurology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Fırat University, Elazig, Turkey.
authors.forename: Caner F
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Demir
authors.affiliation: Physicology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Gaziantep University, Gaziantep, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ramazan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bal
keywords: Clothianidin; Cognitive function; Growth-associated protein 43; Muscarinic receptor M1; N-methyl D-aspartate 1; Synoptophysin