title: In utero and Lactational Exposure to Acetamiprid Induces Abnormalities in Socio-Sexual and Anxiety-Related Behaviors of Male Mice.
abstract: Neonicotinoids, a widely used group of pesticides designed to selectively bind to insect nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, were considered relatively safe for mammalian species. However, they have been found to activate vertebrate nicotinic acetylcholine receptors and could be toxic to the mammalian brain. In the present study, we evaluated the developmental neurotoxicity of acetamiprid (ACE), one of the most widely used neonicotinoids, in C57BL/6J mice whose mothers were administered ACE via gavage at doses of either 0 mg/kg (control group), 1.0 mg/kg (low-dose group), or 10.0 mg/kg (high-dose group) from gestational day 6 to lactation day 21. The results of a battery of behavior tests for socio-sexual and anxiety-related behaviors, the numbers of vasopressin-immunoreactive cells in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus, and testosterone levels were used as endpoints. In addition, behavioral flexibility in mice was assessed in a group-housed environment using the IntelliCage, a fully automated mouse behavioral analysis system. In adult male mice exposed to ACE at both low and high doses, a significant reduction of anxiety level was found in the light-dark transition test. Males in the low-dose group also showed a significant increase in sexual and aggressive behaviors. In contrast, neither the anxiety levels nor the sexual behaviors of females were altered. No reductions in the testosterone level, the number of vasopressin-immunoreactive cells, or behavioral flexibility were detected in either sex. These results suggest the possibility that in utero and lactational ACE exposure interferes with the development of the neural circuits required for executing socio-sexual and anxiety-related behaviors in male mice specifically.
authors.affiliation: Center for Health and Environmental Risk Research, National Institute for Environmental Studies Tsukuba, Japan.
authors.forename: Kazuhiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sano
authors.affiliation: Center for Health and Environmental Risk Research, National Institute for Environmental Studies Tsukuba, Japan.
authors.forename: Tomohiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Isobe
authors.affiliation: Center for Health and Environmental Risk Research, National Institute for Environmental Studies Tsukuba, Japan.
authors.forename: Jiaxin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Center for Health and Environmental Risk Research, National Institute for Environmental Studies Tsukuba, Japan.
authors.forename: Tin-Tin
authors.initials: TT
authors.lastname: Win-Shwe
authors.affiliation: Center for Health and Environmental Risk Research, National Institute for Environmental Studies Tsukuba, Japan.
authors.forename: Mitsuha
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yoshikane
authors.affiliation: Center for Health and Environmental Risk Research, National Institute for Environmental Studies Tsukuba, Japan.
authors.forename: Shoji F
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Nakayama
authors.affiliation: Center for Environmental Biology and Ecosystem Studies, National Institute for Environmental Studies Tsukuba, Japan.
authors.forename: Takaharu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kawashima
authors.affiliation: Center for Health and Environmental Risk Research, National Institute for Environmental StudiesTsukuba, Japan; Center for Material Cycles and Waste Management Research, National Institute for Environmental StudiesTsukuba, Japan.
authors.forename: Go
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.affiliation: Center for Environmental Measurement and Analysis, National Institute for Environmental Studies Tsukuba, Japan.
authors.forename: Shunji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hashimoto
authors.affiliation: Center for Health and Environmental Risk Research, National Institute for Environmental Studies Tsukuba, Japan.
authors.forename: Keiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nohara
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba Tsukuba, Japan.
authors.forename: Chiharu
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tohyama
authors.affiliation: Center for Health and Environmental Risk Research, National Institute for Environmental Studies Tsukuba, Japan.
authors.forename: Fumihiko
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Maekawa
keywords: In utero and lactational exposure; acetamiprid; anxiety-related behavior; neonicotinoids; sociosexual behavior