Host: The Japanese Society of Toxicology
Name : The 50th Annual Meeting of the Japanese Society of Toxicology
Date : June 19, 2023 - June 21, 2023
Many chemical substances exist in the environment, and individuals are exposed to these chemicals. In the developing brain of mammals, various neuronal signals are activated appropriately for the construction of the neural network, and exposure to chemical substances in this period can induce developmental neurotoxicity. To investigate the effects of chemical substances, we devised a comprehensive set of behavioral assays designed to evaluate these processes objectively and quantitatively, alongside techniques for gathering neuroscientific data.
In this symposium, we mainly report the results using permethrin, a pyrethroid insecticide, as a model chemical substance. We exposed mice to permethrin in drinking water during the prenatal and postnatal periods, and behavioral tests were conducted on their offspring after maturation. As a behavioral effect, impairment in learning and memory was observed in male mice, suggesting that excessive production of immature neurons and dysfunction of astrocytes in the hippocampus may be involved as the effects on the formation of neural circuit base. On the other hand, in female mice, no distinctive effects observed in male mice were found.
Based on the above results, we would like to discuss the previous efforts to detect neurobehavioral effects that manifest after maturity due to chemical exposure in early life, as well as new issues such as low-dose effects of chemical substances and sex differences.
