title: Lanthanum chloride impairs spatial memory through ERK/MSK1 signaling pathway of hippocampus in rats.
abstract: Rare earth elements (REEs) are used in many fields for their diverse physical and chemical properties. Surveys have shown that REEs can impair learning and memory in children and cause neurobehavioral defects in animals. However, the mechanism underlying these impairments has not yet been completely elucidated. Lanthanum (La) is often selected to study the effects of REEs. The aim of this study was to investigate the spatial memory impairments induced by lanthanum chloride (LaCl3) and the probable underlying mechanism. Wistar rats were exposed to LaCl3 in drinking water at 0 % (control, 0 mM), 0.25 % (18 mM), 0.50 % (36 mM), and 1.00 % (72 mM) from birth to 2 months after weaning. LaCl3 considerably impaired the spatial learning and memory of rats in the Morris water maze test, damaged the synaptic ultrastructure and downregulated the expression of p-MEK1/2, p-ERK1/2, p-MSK1, p-CREB, c-FOS and BDNF in the hippocampus. These results indicate that LaCl3 exposure impairs the spatial learning and memory of rats, which may be attributed to disruption of the synaptic ultrastructure and inhibition of the ERK/MSK1 signaling pathway in the hippocampus.
authors.affiliation: Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, China Medical University, 92 North 2nd Road, Heping District, Shenyang, 110001, Liaoning, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Huiying
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Jinghua
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Qiufang
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Cuihong
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.forename: Shengwen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Xiaobo
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Linlin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Qi
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Xi
authors.forename: Yuan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Cai
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D017931:DNA Primers; D048049:Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D007811:Lanthanum / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008568:Memory / Q000187:drug effects*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D038744:Ribosomal Protein S6 Kinases, 90-kDa / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; C028521:lanthanum chloride; D007811:Lanthanum; D038744:Ribosomal Protein S6 Kinases, 90-kDa; C116919:mitogen and stress-activated protein kinase 1; D048049:Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases