Neurobehavioral evaluation of mouse newborns exposed prenatally to low-dose bisphenol A

J Toxicol Sci. 2014 Apr;39(2):231-5. doi: 10.2131/jts.39.231.

Abstract

There have been few neurobehavioral toxicology studies on newborn animals. Thus, we developed a mouse newborn behavioral testing method for evaluating the risk of neurotoxicity of environmental toxicants, by means of determining the newborn's motor activity applying the tare function of an analytical balance. Motor activities including crawling, pivoting, righting or tremors of mouse newborns were evaluated. Tremors of newborns of dams exposed to bisphenol A at 2, 20 or 200 µg/kg/day on days 5 through 18 of gestation were significantly increased when evaluated on postnatal day 1, as well as those of newborns exposed prenatally to diethylstilbestrol at 0.5 µg/kg/day. We suggest that our developed testing method may provide a useful addition to neurobehavioral assessment in very young rodents exposed to environmental hormone mimics.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Animals, Newborn
  • Behavior, Animal / drug effects*
  • Benzhydryl Compounds / administration & dosage
  • Benzhydryl Compounds / metabolism
  • Benzhydryl Compounds / toxicity*
  • Endocrine Disruptors / administration & dosage
  • Endocrine Disruptors / metabolism
  • Endocrine Disruptors / toxicity*
  • Female
  • Gestational Age
  • Male
  • Maternal Exposure / adverse effects*
  • Maternal-Fetal Exchange*
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred ICR
  • Motor Activity / drug effects*
  • Phenols / administration & dosage
  • Phenols / metabolism
  • Phenols / toxicity*
  • Pregnancy
  • Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects / chemically induced*
  • Tremor / chemically induced

Substances

  • Benzhydryl Compounds
  • Endocrine Disruptors
  • Phenols
  • bisphenol A