Cadmium (Cd) is a pervasive carcinogen and environmental endocrine disruptor. We studied the changes in learning and memory of offspring mice, whose mothers were exposed to 10 mg Cd/L via the drinking water during pregnancy and lactation period, as well as the changes of testosterone and estrogen levels, serum Cd levels, the histopathological changes and the changes in the mRNA and protein levels of different subunits of γ-aminobutyric acid receptor subtype A subunits (GBARs) in the hippocampus at the prepuberty, puberty, young adult, and adult stages. At birth, Cd had no obvious effect on mice offspring as statistically accessed based on their body weight, body length, and tail length (all p > 0.05). After grouped, the serum Cd levels increased in the three exposed groups more than in the normal control group at stages (all p < 0.05). Only serum estradiol of female offspring at age 7 weeks was significantly decreased compared with other groups (all p < 0.05). Histopathological results showed that the arrangement of the cells in hippocampal CA1 area of mice offspring was significantly sparse in the exposed groups compared with the control group. At 5 and 7 weeks, two Cd-exposed groups showed prolonged escape latency and exploring time for the platform compared with the normal group in the Morris water maze (all p < 0.05). Only increased protein expression of GABARα5 was found in the Cd group at these two ages. At age 12 weeks, similar impaired learning and memory of female mice, and decreased protein expression of GABARδ was found in Cd-exposed groups. Collectively, low-dose Cd had no effect on the growth of mice offspring but affected their learning and memory, especially female offspring, at puberty, young adulthood, and adulthood through changed structure in the hippocampal CA1 area and protein expression of GABARα5 and GABARδ.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoenv.2018.09.109DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

learning memory
8
mice offspring
8
puberty young
8
pregnancy lactation
8
serum levels
8
impairment learning
4
memory mice
4
offspring puberty
4
young adulthood
4
adulthood adulthood
4

Similar Publications

Rationale: Clinical literature indicates there may be a therapeutic use of cannabidiol (CBD) for stress-related disorders. Preclinical literature remains conflicted regarding the underlying neurobehavioral mechanisms, reporting mixed effects of CBD (increased, decreased, or no effect) on anxiety- and fear-related behaviors. Preclinical data demonstrated that CBD modulates hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis gene expression; it is unknown whether CBD changes HPA axis responsivity and how this relates to altered behavior.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Development of machine learning models for diagnostic biomarker identification and immune cell infiltration analysis in PCOS.

J Ovarian Res

January 2025

Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.

Background: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common endocrine disorder affecting women of reproductive age. It is characterized by symptoms such as hyperandrogenemia, oligo or anovulation and polycystic ovarian, significantly impacting quality of life. However, the practical implementation of machine learning (ML) in PCOS diagnosis is hindered by the limitations related to data size and algorithmic models.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Population aging and the increase in memory-related diseases have motivated the search for accessible cognitive screening instruments. To develop a digital memory and learning test (DMLT) based on Rey's Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT) principles to assess cognition in the elderly and identify early cognitive decline.

Methods: The research was divided into two phases: developing the digital test and the experimental phase of comparison with a reference test.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Sleep deprivation (SD) impairs learning and memory. Investigating the role of epigenetic modifications, such as 5-methylcytosine (mC), in SD is crucial. This study established an SD mouse model and assessed the mRNA levels of mC-related genes in brain tissue to identify potential candidates.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Hand movements frequently occur with speech. The extent to which the memories that guide co-speech hand movements are tied to the speech they occur with is unclear. Here, we paired the acquisition of a new hand movement with speech.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!