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Transplacental and early life exposure to inorganic arsenic affected development and behavior in offspring rats

  • Inorganic Compounds
  • Published:
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Abstract

To evaluate the developmental neurotoxicity of arsenic in offspring rats by transplacental and early life exposure to sodium arsenite in drinking water, the pregnant rats or lactating dams, and weaned pups were given free access to drinking water, which contained arsenic at concentrations of 0, 10, 50, 100 mg/L from GD 6 until PND 42. A battery of physical and behavioral tests was applied to evaluate the functional outcome of pups. Pups in arsenic exposed groups weighed less than controls throughout lactation and weaning. Body weight of 10, 50 and 100 mg/L arsenic exposed groups decreased significantly on PND 42, 16 and 12, respectively. Physical development (pinna unfolding, fur appearance, incisor eruption, or eye opening) in pups displayed no significant differences between control and arsenic treated groups. The number of incidences within the 100 mg/L arsenic treated group, in tail hung, auditory startle and visual placing showed significant decrease compared to the control group (p < 0.05). In square water maze test, the trained numbers to finish the trials successfully in 50 and 100 mg/L arsenic exposed groups increased remarkably compared to control group, and there was a dose-related increase (p < 0.01) observed. Taken together, these data show that exposure of inorganic arsenite to pregnant dams and offspring pups at levels up to 100 mg/L in drinking water may affect their learning and memory functions and neuromotor reflex.

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Acknowledgments

The study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China through grant number (NSFC) 30530640. We thank Professor Xiaoru Wang, Dr. Xuan Cao in the First Institute of Oceanography State Oceanic Administration, China for measurement of arsenic contents in rat brains.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, College of Public Health, China Medical University, 110001, Shenyang, Liaoning, China

    Shuhua Xi, Yaping Jin & Guifan Sun

  2. Department of Preventive Medicine, Shenyang Medical College, 110034, Shenyang, Liaoning, China

    Wenjuan Sun & Fengzhi Wang

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  1. Shuhua Xi
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  2. Wenjuan Sun
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  3. Fengzhi Wang
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  4. Yaping Jin
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  5. Guifan Sun
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Correspondence to Guifan Sun.

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Xi, S., Sun, W., Wang, F. et al. Transplacental and early life exposure to inorganic arsenic affected development and behavior in offspring rats. Arch Toxicol 83, 549–556 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00204-009-0403-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00204-009-0403-5

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