Behavioral and endocrine effects of chronic exposure to low doses of chlorobenzenes in Wistar rats |
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Authors: | Nagyeri G Valkusz Z Radacs M Ocsko T Hausinger P Laszlo M Laszlo F A Juhasz A Julesz J Galfi M |
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Affiliation: | a Endocrine Unit of First Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Szeged, Korányi fasor 8-10, H-6720, Szeged, Hungaryb Institute of Applied Natural Science, Faculty of Education, University of Szeged, Boldogasszony sugárút 6, H-6725, Szeged, Hungaryc Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Neuroscience, Faculty of Sciences and Informatics, University of Szeged, Közép fasor 52, H-6726, Szeged, Hungaryd Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Szeged, Semmelweis utca 6, H-6725, Szeged, Hungary |
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Abstract: | Chlorobenzenes have often been applied to study persistent organic pollutants with endocrine disruptor effects (POP/EDCs), but with the focus mainly on physiological aspects. Few data exist on the effects of chlorobenzenes and most POP/EDCs on anxiety or other arginine-vasopressin (AVP)- and oxytocin (OXT)-mediated behavior, albeit exposure to POP/EDCs or their ambient mixtures, even in low doses, may pose health risks for subjects living in contaminated areas and/or consuming polluted food. Our primary aim was therefore to demonstrate behavioral effects of longterm exposure to a discrete dose of a chlorobenzene mixture, and to draw attention to the results of subtoxic oral exposure on anxiety-related elements and the possible underlying endocrine processes. Adult male Wistar rats were treated daily with a mixture (ClB) of 1 μg/kg each of hexachlorobenzene and 1,2,4-trichlorobenzene via a gastric tube for 30, 60 or 90 days. After exposure, anxiety-related behavioral elements were determined in open-field and elevated plus maze tests. At euthanasia, the plasma levels of AVP, OXT and adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) were measured. Simultaneously, pituicytes from subjects were cultured to study the levels of basal and serotonin- or norepinephrinestimulated AVP and OXT secretion. Various anxiety-related behavioral elements were observed to be increased in both tests. The plasma AVP, OXT and ACTH concentrations were increased, to extents depending on the duration of exposure. The basal and monoamine-stimulated levels of AVP and OXT secretion of pituicytes prepared from the ClB-exposed rats were also elevated. Thus, certain anxietyrelated behavioral and endocrine elements were modulated by long-term exposure to ClB. As adult subjects were involved, which are generally less susceptible to toxic agents, it may be concluded that discrete doses of POP/EDC chlorobenzenes that are low enough to fall below the range of legal regulation may exert anxiogenic effects, which suggests that certain anxiogenic disorders may be induced environmentally in exposed human populations. |
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Keywords: | 5-HT, serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine) ACTH, adrenocorticotrophic hormone AVP, arginine-vasopressin ClB, the chlorobenzene mixture applied for exposure in our experiments CNS, central nervous system EPM, elevated plus maze GGT, gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase HCB, hexachlorobenzene NE, norepinephrine NC, naï ve control NH, neurohypophysis OF, open-field OXT, oxytocin POP/EDCs, persistent organic pollutants with endocrine disruptor effects SGOT, serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase SGPT, serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase TCB, 1,2,4-trichlorobenzene VC, vehicle control |
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