Prenatal, but not postnatal exposure to chlorpyrifos affects social behavior of mice and the excitatory-inhibitory balance in a sex-dependent manner.

The balance between excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitters is essential for proper brain development. An imbalance between these two systems has been associated with neurodevelopmental disorders. On the other hand, literature also associates the massive use of pesticides with the increase of these disorders, with a particular focus on chlorpyrifos (CPF) a world-wide used organophosphate pesticide. This study was aimed at assessing social autistic-like behaviors on mice pre or postnatally exposed to CPF (0 or 1 mg/kg/day), in both sexes. In prenatal exposure, C57BL/6J pregnant mice were exposed to CPF through the diet, between gestational days (GD) 12 and 18, while a positive control group for some autistic behaviors was exposed to valproic acid (VPA) on GD 12 and 13. To assess postnatal exposure, C57BL/6J mice were orally exposed to the vehicle (corn oil) or CPF, from postnatal days (PND) 10-15. Social behavior and gene expression analysis were assessed on PND 45. Results showed social alterations only in males prenatally treated. GABA system was upregulated in CPF-treated females, whereas an increase in both systems was observed in both treated males. These findings suggest that males are more sensitive to prenatal CPF exposure, favoring the sex bias observed in ASD.

Exposure to chlorpyrifos at different ages triggers APOE genotype-specific responses in social behavior, body weight and hypothalamic gene expression.

To date, we have shown that apolipoprotein E (APOE) polymorphisms differentially modulate the neurobehavioral and metabolic effects of chlorpyrifos (CPF), a widely used pesticide, which is detected as residue in food. We previously reported that, after being exposed to CPF, APOE3 subjects exhibit metabolic dysfunctions while APOE4 subjects undergo changes in behavior. In the current study, we investigated the effects of a double exposure to CPF on social behavior and hypothalamic gene expression in apoE-targeted replacement (TR) mice. Male apoE3-and apoE4-TR mice were exposed to CPF at 0 or 1 mg/kg/day on postnatal days 10-15 and then, during adulthood (5 months of age), fed a CPF-supplemented diet (0 or 2 mg/kg/day) for 15 days. During adult exposure to CPF, body weight gain and food intake were monitored. At the end of the adult exposure period, we evaluated social behavior in a three-chamber test, as well as mRNA levels of hypothalamic neuropeptides and receptors related to social behavior and feeding control. Adult CPF exposure increased food intake in general, but only apoE4 mice increased their body weight. Postnatal CPF exposure improved preference for the social contexts in apoE4 mice while adult CPF exposure did the same in apoE3 mice. Anorexigenic-peptide and social-related behavior gene expression decreased as a result of adult CPF exposure in apoE4 mice, and neuropeptide Y was more expressed in apoE4 mice. These results indicate that CPF exposure produces orexigenic and metabolic effects and enlarges individual differences in social behavior, especially in apoE3 mice.

Two cholinesterase inhibitors trigger dissimilar effects on behavior and body weight in C57BL/6 mice: The case of chlorpyrifos and rivastigmine.

Cholinesterases (ChE) are common targets of organophosphate (OP) pesticides and play a critical role in the pathology of some dementias. While chlorpyrifos (CPF) remains one of the most commonly used OPs in the world, numerous investigations have reported its neurotoxic potential and highlighted behavioral disturbances upon its administration. Rivastigmine currently serves to treat Alzheimer's disease, but it may induce cholinergic overstimulation in non-demented individuals. The present investigation aimed to compare the acute and delayed effects caused by both ChE inhibitors in adult C57BL/6 male mice. The animals were daily fed either a standard, a CPF- (5mg/kg body weight) or a rivastigmine-supplemented diet (1 or 2mg/kg body weight) for 8 weeks. After the treatment, we established an 8-week washout period to assess recovery. ChE enzyme activity, biomarkers, physical effects, and behavioral alterations were evaluated at different time points during the exposure and after the washout period. Both rivastigmine doses induced a time-dependent weight increase. CPF and rivastigmine inhibited brain acetylcholinesterase following an isoform-specific pattern. As for behavioral assessment, CPF negatively modulated learning strategies and impaired memory in a Barnes maze task at the end of the exposure. On the other hand, the low dose of rivastigmine improved memory recall at the end of the washout period in a Morris water maze. Indeed, our results endorse the positive effects of low doses of rivastigmine following a drug-free period in young mice. Therefore, doses and periodicity of treatment to improve cognition in elderly people upon rivastigmine administration should be revised.

Chronic exposure to chlorpyrifos triggered body weight increase and memory impairment depending on human apoE polymorphisms in a targeted replacement mouse model.

Despite restrictions on their use, humans are still constantly exposed to organophosphates (OPs). A huge number of studies have ratified the neurotoxic effects of chlorpyrifos (CPF) and suggested its association with neurodegenerative diseases, but data are still scarce. Human apolipoprotein E (apoE) plays an important role in lipid transport and distribution. In humans, the apoE4 isoform has been linked to an increased risk of Alzheimer's disease (AD). ApoE3 is the most prevalent isoform worldwide, and has been often established as the healthful one. The current study, performed in targeted replacement (TR) adult male mice, aimed to inquire whether genetic variations of the human apoE respond differently to a chronic dietary challenge with CPF. At four/five months of age, mice carrying apoE2, apoE3 or apoE4 were pair-fed a diet supplemented with CPF at 0 or 2mg/kg body weight/day for 13weeks. Cholinergic signs were monitored daily and body weight changes weekly. In the last week of treatment, learning and memory were assessed in a Barnes maze task. Dietary CPF challenge increased body weight only in apoE3 mice. Differences in the acquisition and retention of the Barnes maze were attributed to apoE genetic differences. Our results showed that apoE4 mice performed worse than apoE2 and apoE3 carriers in the acquisition period of the spatial task, and that apoE2 mice had poorer retention than the other two genotypes. On the other hand, CPF increased the search velocity of apoE2 subjects during the acquisition period. Retention was impaired only in CPF-exposed apoE3 mice. These results underline that gene×environment interactions need to be taken into account in epidemiological studies. Given that apoE3, the most common polymorphism in humans, has proved to be the most sensitive to CPF, the potential implications for human health merit serious thought.

Pro-oxidant activity of aluminum in the rat hippocampus: gene expression of antioxidant enzymes after melatonin administration.

Aluminum (Al)-induced pro-oxidant activity and the protective role of exogenous melatonin, as well as the mRNA levels of some antioxidant enzymes, were determined in the hippocampi of rats following administration of Al and/or melatonin. Two groups of male rats were intraperitoneally injected with Al (as Al lactate) or melatonin only, at doses of 7 and 10 mg/kg/day, respectively, for 11 weeks. During this period, a third group of animals received Al (7 mg/kg/day) plus melatonin (10 mg/kg/day). At the end of the treatment, hippocampus was removed and processed to examine the following oxidative stress markers: glutathione transferase (GST), reduced glutathione (GSH), oxidized glutathione (GSSG), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione reductase (GR), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), catalase (CAT), thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), as well as protein content. Gene expression of Cu-ZnSOD, MnSOD, GPx, and CAT was evaluated by real-time RT-PCR. On the other hand, Al, Fe, Mn, Cu, and Zn concentrations in hippocampus were also determined. The results show that Al exposure promotes oxidative stress in the rat hippocampus, with an increase in Al concentrations. The biochemical changes observed in this tissue indicate that Al acts as pro-oxidant agent, while melatonin exerts antioxidant action by increasing the mRNA levels of the antioxidant enzymes evaluated. The protective effects of melatonin, together with its low toxicity and its capacity to increase mRNA levels of antioxidant enzymes, suggest that this hormone might be administered as a potential supplement in the treatment of neurological disorders in which oxidative stress is involved.