Effects of in utero exposure to lanthanum on neurological behavior in rat offspring

Publication date: Available online 28 December 2019Source: Neurotoxicology and TeratologyAuthor(s): Xiao Xiao, Ling Yong, Dandan Liu, Hui Yang, Chunlai Liang, Xudong Jia, Zhaoping Liu, Yan SongAbstractThe increasing use of rare-earth elements in various fields has raised concern from public heath perspective regarding their accumulation in human body. Long-term exposure to lanthanum, one of the frequently used rare-earth elements in biomedicine and agriculture, has been previously shown to exert neurotoxicity during development in rats; however, the effects of short-term exposure to lanthanum during gestation on neurobehavioral development in rat offspring is still not clear. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of intrauterine exposure to lanthanum on neurobehavioral development in rat offspring. Dams were orally exposed to 0, 2, 20, & 60 mg/kg BW of lanthanum nitrate from gestation day 7 to day 16. Morris water maze test, hindlimb strength test, nociceptive perception test, and grip strength test were conducted during postnatal day 61 to 66 in rat offspring. Blood lanthanum concentration and plasma neurotransmitters were measured after sacrifice. The results showed that intrauterine exposure to lanthanum nitrate significantly impaired memory and spatial learning in Morris water maze test. Lanthanum treatment dose-dependently increased blood lanthanum concentration in dams and pups. Lanthanum treatment significantly decreased hindlimb and grip strength a...
Source: Neurotoxicology and Teratology - Category: Toxicology Source Type: research