Effects of Developmental Arsenic Exposure on the Social Behavior and Related Gene Expression in C3H Adult Male Mice

Soe-Minn Htway, Mya-Thanda Sein, Keiko Nohara and Tin-Tin Win-Shwe
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Soe-Minn Htway: Department of Physiology, University of Medicine, Magway, Magway 04011, Myanmar
Mya-Thanda Sein: Department of Physiology, University of Medicine, Magway, Magway 04011, Myanmar
Keiko Nohara: Center for Health and Environmental Risk Research, National Institute for Environmental Studies, Tsukuba 305-8506, Japan
Tin-Tin Win-Shwe: Center for Health and Environmental Risk Research, National Institute for Environmental Studies, Tsukuba 305-8506, Japan

IJERPH, 2019, vol. 16, issue 2, 1-12

Abstract: Arsenic is carcinogenic and teratogenic. In addition, it is also a developmental neurotoxicant. Little is known however about the effect of arsenic exposure during brain development on social behavior. This study aimed to detect the effect of developmental arsenic exposure on social behavior and related gene expression in C3H adult male mice. Pregnant C3H mice were exposed to sodium arsenite (NaAsO 2 , 85 ppm in the drinking water) from gestational day (GD) 8 to 18. The F1 generation male pups from different mothers were taken and social behavior tasks were examined. Social behavioral-related gene expression in the prefrontal cortex was determined by the real-time RT-PCR method. The mice with developmental arsenic exposure showed poor sociability and poor social novelty preference. Glutamate receptor expression (NMDA and AMPA receptor subunits) showed no significant difference, but gene expressions of serotonin receptor 5B (5-HT 5B) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) were significantly decreased ( p < 0.05) in the arsenic-exposed group compared to control group. The heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) gene expressions were not significantly different. Our findings indicate that developmental arsenic exposure might affect social behavior by modulating serotonin receptors and reducing BDNF. Some oxidative stress markers and inflammatory markers were not affected.

Keywords: arsenic; developmental; gene expression; mice; prefrontal cortex; social behavior (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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