Neurobehavioural effects of exposure to fluoride in the earliest stages of rat development.

BARTOS MARIANA; GUMILAR F; BRAS C.; GALLEGOS CE; GIANNUZZI L; CANCELA LM; MINETTI A

PHYSIOLOGY AND BEHAVIOR

PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD

Año: 2015 vol. 147 p. 205 - 212

0031-9384

It is known that exposure to high concentrations of Fluoride (F) produces deleterious health effects in humanpopulation. However, in the last years it has been concluded that low concentrations of F may have adversehealth effects aswell. Transplacental passage of F and its incorporation into foetal tissues has been demonstrated.Therefore, the purpose of the presentwork was to study the effects of the exposure to lowlevels of F during pregnancyand lactation on the central nervous system functionality.Wistar rats were exposed to low F concentrations(5 and 10 mg/l) during pregnancy and lactation. Sensorimotor reflexes in the each pup were analysedand the postnatal day on which both eyes and auditory canals were opened was recorded. Locomotor activityand anxiety were subsequently analysed in 45- and 90-day-old offspring by an open field test and plus mazetest, respectively. A significant delay in the development of eye opening was observed in all offspring whosemothers had been exposed to the two F concentrations tested. Exposure to 5 and 10 mg/l F was also found tosignificantly decrease locomotor activity only in 90-day-old male and female offspring. A low index of anxietyin the young females and in all adult offspring exposed to the two F concentrations tested was also detected.Taken together, findings from the present study show that exposure to low F concentrations during pregnancyand lactation produces dysfunction in the central nervous system mechanisms which regulate motor and sensitivedevelopment, locomotor activity and anxiety.