Motor deficits, impaired response inhibition, and blunted response to methylphenidate following neonatal exposure to decabromodiphenyl ether

Publication date: Available online 29 July 2017 Source:Neurotoxicology and Teratology Author(s): Vincent P. Markowski, Patrick Miller-Rhodes, Randy Cheung, Calla Goeke, Vincent Pecoraro, Gideon Cohen, Deena J. Small Decabromodiphenyl ether (decaBDE) is an applied brominated flame retardant that is widely-used in electronic equipment. After decades of use, decaBDE and other members of its polybrominated diphenyl ether class have become globally-distributed environmental contaminants that can be measured in the atmosphere, water bodies, wildlife, food staples and human breastmilk. Although it has been banned in Europe and voluntarily withdrawn from the U.S. market, it is still used in Asian countries. Evidence from epidemiological and animal studies indicate that decaBDE exposure targets brain development and produces behavioral impairments. The current study examined an array of motor and learning behaviors in a C57BL6/J mouse model to determine the breadth of the developmental neurotoxicity produced by decaBDE. Mouse pups were given a single daily oral dose of 0 or 20mg/kg decaBDE from postnatal day 1 to 21 and were tested in adulthood. Exposed male mice had impaired forelimb grip strength, altered motor output in a circadian wheel-running procedure, increased response errors during an operant differential reinforcement of low rates (DRL) procedure and a blunted response to an acute methylphenidate challenge administered before DRL testing. With the exception of alte...
Source: Neurotoxicology and Teratology - Category: Toxicology Source Type: research