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Hippocampal Damage and Alterations of Inflammatory Cytokine Expression in Mice Caused by Exposure to Cerium Chloride

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Abstract

Rare earth element (REE) exposure has been shown to induce central nerve system intoxication, but the molecular mechanisms by which this occurs are poorly understood. In this study, cerium (Ce), in the form of CeCl3, was administered by way of gavage to mice for 90 consecutive days, and cytokine expression, associated with neuroinflammation of hippocampus, as well as spatial memory were increased in mice. Significant Ce accumulation in hippocampus, which led to neuroinflammation and decreased spatial memory of mice, was observed. Furthermore, CeCl3 remarkably increased levels of Toll-like receptors 2 and 4, tumor necrosis factor-α, nucleic IκB kinase, factor-κB–inducible kinase, nucleic factor-κB, and p52 and p65 expression as well as significantly decreased levels of IκB and interleukin-2 expression. These results showed that neuroinflammation and damaged hippocampal function may be associated with CeCl3-induced neuerotoxicity. Our findings suggest the need for workers and consumers to exercise caution when handling REEs.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 81273036, 30901218), a project funded by the Priority Academic Program Development of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions, and the National Bringing New Ideas Foundation of Student of Soochow University (Grant No. 201210285036).

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Correspondence to Fashui Hong.

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Xiaochun Wang, Junju Su, Liyuan Zhu and Ning Guan contributed equally to this work.

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Wang, X., Su, J., Zhu, L. et al. Hippocampal Damage and Alterations of Inflammatory Cytokine Expression in Mice Caused by Exposure to Cerium Chloride. Arch Environ Contam Toxicol 64, 545–553 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00244-012-9870-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00244-012-9870-4

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