title: Prenatal Paraquat exposure induces neurobehavioral and cognitive changes in mice offspring.
abstract: In the present work, we investigated developmental toxicity of Paraquat (PQ), from the 1st or 6th day of mating and throughout the gestation period. We have examined several parameters, including toxicity indices, reproductive performance, sensorimotor development, as well as anxiety and cognitive performance of the offspring. Our results showed that exposure to 20mg/kg of Paraquat during the first days of pregnancy completely prevents pregnancy in treated mice, but from the 6th day of pregnancy, an alteration in fertility and reproductive parameters was observed. In offspring, the PQ was responsible for an overall delay of innate reflexes and a deficit in motor development. All exposed animals showed a decrease in the level of locomotor activity, increased levels of anxiety-like behavior and pronounced cognitive impairment in adulthood. These results demonstrated that Paraquat led to the onset of many behavioral changes that stem from the impairment of neuronal developmental processes in prenatally exposed mice.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Pharmacologie, Neurobiologie et Comportement (URAC 37) Cadi Ayyad University, Marrakech, Morocco.
authors.forename: Yassine
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ait-Bali
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Pharmacologie, Neurobiologie et Comportement (URAC 37) Cadi Ayyad University, Marrakech, Morocco.
authors.forename: Saadia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ba-M'hamed
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Pharmacologie, Neurobiologie et Comportement (URAC 37) Cadi Ayyad University, Marrakech, Morocco. Electronic address: mbennis@uca.ma.
authors.forename: Mohammed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bennis
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001362:Avoidance Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects*; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects / Q000196:embryology / Q000473:pathology; D003071:Cognition / Q000187:drug effects*; D005260:Female; D006540:Herbicides / Q000633:toxicity*; D008297:Male; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D051379:Mice; D020258:Neurotoxicity Syndromes / Q000196:embryology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D010269:Paraquat / Q000633:toxicity*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D057897:Reflex, Righting / Q000187:drug effects; D045442:Rotarod Performance Test
chemical_list: D006540:Herbicides; D010269:Paraquat
keywords: Acute toxicity; Cognitive deficiency; Developmental neurotoxicity; Immunochemistry; Motor performance; Paraquat