title: Neurobehavioral Assessment of Rats Exposed to Yttrium Nitrate during Development.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to assess the effects of yttrium nitrate on neurobehavioral development in Sprague-Dawley rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  Dams were orally exposed to 0, 5, 15, or 45 mg/kg daily of yttrium nitrate from gestation day (GD) 6 to postnatal day (PND) 21. Body weight and food consumption were monitored weekly. Neurobehavior was assessed by developmental landmarks and reflexes, motor activity, hot plate, Rota-rod and cognitive tests. Additionally, brain weights were measured on PND 21 and 70.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No significant difference was noted among all groups for maternal body weight and food consumption. All yttrium-exposed offspring showed an increase in body weight on PND 21; however, no significant difference in body weight for exposed pups versus controls was observed 2 weeks or more after the yttrium solution was discontinued. The groups given 5 mg/kg daily decreased significantly in the duration of female forelime grip strength and ambulation on PND 13. There was no significant difference between yttrium-exposed offspring and controls with respect to other behavioral ontogeny parameters and postnatal behavioral test results.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Exposure of rats to yttrium nitrate in concentrations up to 45 mg/kg daily had no adverse effects on their neurobehavioral development.
authors.affiliation: National Institute for Nutrition and Food Safety, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 100021, China; Key Laboratory of Food Safety Risk Assessment of Ministry of Health, China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment, Beijing 100021, China.
authors.forename: Chen Xi
authors.initials: CX
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Food Safety Risk Assessment of Ministry of Health, China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment, Beijing 100021, China.
authors.forename: Chuan
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Food Safety Risk Assessment of Ministry of Health, China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment, Beijing 100021, China.
authors.forename: Hai Qin
authors.initials: HQ
authors.lastname: Fang
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Food Safety Risk Assessment of Ministry of Health, China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment, Beijing 100021, China.
authors.forename: Yuan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhi
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Food Safety Risk Assessment of Ministry of Health, China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment, Beijing 100021, China.
authors.forename: Zhou
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Food Safety Risk Assessment of Ministry of Health, China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment, Beijing 100021, China.
authors.forename: Hai Bin
authors.initials: HB
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Food Safety Risk Assessment of Ministry of Health, China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment, Beijing 100021, China.
authors.forename: Xu Dong
authors.initials: XD
authors.lastname: Jia
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000633:toxicity*; D005260:Female; D059022:Food Safety; D008297:Male; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects; D010147:Pain Measurement / Q000187:drug effects; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D018570:Risk Assessment; D045442:Rotarod Performance Test; D015019:Yttrium / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D015019:Yttrium
keywords: Developmental neurotoxicity; Neurobehavior; Rare earth elements; Yttrium