title: Insecticide imidacloprid influences cognitive functions and alters learning performance and related gene expression in a rat model.
abstract: The potential toxic effects of several pesticides, including imidacloprid on non-target organisms have not been clearly established. Also, the chronic effects of non-toxic doses on cognitive function in mammals are unknown. In this study, the effects of different doses of imidacloprid on learning and memory of infant and adult rats were evaluated, and the expressions of genes synthesizing proteins known to be associated with learning in brain tissues were also documented. 0.5, 2 and 8 mg/kg doses of imidacloprid were administered to newborn infant and adult Wistar albino rats by gavage. Their learning activities were evaluated, and the expression levels of the inotropic glutamate receptor GRIN1, synoptophysin, growth-associated protein 43 and the muscarinic receptor M1 in hippocampus were determined by real-time PCR method. Learning activities were diminished significantly at 2 and 8 mg/kg doses in the infant model groups and at 8 mg/kg dose in adult rats. Also, expression levels of GRIN1, SYP and GAP-43 were found to be insignificantly altered. Only the expression of M1 were significantly changed in high doses of adult group. Thus imidacloprid in high doses causes deterioration in cognitive functions particularly in infant rats, and this deterioration may be associated with changes in the expressions of related genes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, Mugla Sitki Kocman University, Mugla, Turkey.
authors.forename: Murat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kara
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Adiyaman University, Adiyaman, Turkey.
authors.forename: Onder
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Yumrutas
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Fırat University, Elazıg, Turkey.
authors.forename: Caner F
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Demir
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Dicle University, Diyarbakır, Turkey.
authors.forename: Hasan Huseyin
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Ozdemir
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Adiyaman University, Adiyaman, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ibrahim
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Bozgeyik
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, Dicle University, Diyarbakır, Turkey.
authors.forename: Salih
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Coskun
authors.affiliation: Department of Physicology, Faculty of Medicine, Ataturk University, Erzurum, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ersen
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Eraslan
authors.affiliation: Department of Physicology, Faculty of Medicine, Gaziantep University, Gaziantep, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ramazan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bal
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D003071:Cognition / Q000187:drug effects*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D007093:Imidazoles / Q000633:toxicity*; D007306:Insecticides / Q000633:toxicity*; D007858:Learning / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D000073943:Neonicotinoids; D009574:Nitro Compounds / Q000633:toxicity*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D059467:Transcriptome / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D007093:Imidazoles; D007306:Insecticides; D000073943:Neonicotinoids; D009574:Nitro Compounds; C082359:imidacloprid
keywords: GAP-43; GRIN 1; cognitive function; imidacloprid; synaptophysin; toxic effects