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Lanthanum chloride impairs spatial learning and memory and downregulates NF-κB signalling pathway in rats

  • Inorganic compounds
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Abstract

Exposure to rare earth elements (REEs) is known to impair intelligence in children and cause neurobehavioral abnormalities in animals. However, the mechanisms underlying these phenomena are not clear. Lanthanum is often used to study the effects of REEs. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of lanthanum chloride (LaCl3) on spatial learning and memory and a possible underlying mechanism involving nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) signalling pathway expression in the hippocampus. The rats were exposed to 0, 0.25, 0.50 or 1.00 % LaCl3 in drinking water during pregnancy and lactation (i.e. while feeding their offspring). After weaning, young rats continued to receive 0, 0.25, 0.50 and 1.00 % LaCl3 in the drinking water for 1 month. LaCl3 exposure impaired the spatial learning and memory of young rats and significantly decreased the expression of phosphorylated IκB kinase complex, phosphorylated IκBα, NF-κB, c-fos, c-jun and brain-derived neurotrophic factor in the hippocampus. These results indicate that LaCl3 exposure impairs spatial learning and memory in rats by inhibiting NF-κB signalling pathway.

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Acknowledgments

This study was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China and Science Project of Education Department in Province Liaoning, China. The project numbers are 30901209, 81072316, L2010702 and L2012290.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, China Medical University, 92 North 2nd Road, Heping District, Shenyang, 110001, Liaoning, People’s Republic of China

    Linlin Zheng, Jinghua Yang, Qiufang Liu, Fei Yu, Shengwen Wu, Cuihong Jin, Xiaobo Lu, Lifeng Zhang, Yanqiu Du & Yuan Cai

  2. School of Medicine, Eastern Liaoning University, 49 Jingshan Street, Zhenan District, Dandong, 118000, Liaoning, People’s Republic of China

    Linlin Zheng

  3. Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, China Medical University, 92 North 2nd Road, Heping District, Shenyang, 110001, Liaoning, People’s Republic of China

    Linlin Zheng, Jinghua Yang, Qiufang Liu, Shengwen Wu, Cuihong Jin, Xiaobo Lu, Lifeng Zhang, Yanqiu Du & Yuan Cai

  4. Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, School of Public Health, China Medical University, 92 North 2nd Road, Heping District, Shenyang, Liaoning, People’s Republic of China

    Fei Yu

  5. Heping District Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shenyang, Liaoning, People’s Republic of China

    Lifeng Zhang

  6. Shenyang Ninth People’s Hospital, Shenyang, Liaoning, People’s Republic of China

    Yanqiu Du

  7. Department of Physiology, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, 38163, USA

    Qi Xi

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  1. Linlin Zheng
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  2. Jinghua Yang
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  10. Qi Xi
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  11. Yuan Cai
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Correspondence to Yuan Cai.

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Zheng, L., Yang, J., Liu, Q. et al. Lanthanum chloride impairs spatial learning and memory and downregulates NF-κB signalling pathway in rats. Arch Toxicol 87, 2105–2117 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00204-013-1076-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00204-013-1076-7

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