Gandhi Dinesh N, Panchal Govind M, Dhull Dinesh K
Department of Neurobehavioral Toxicology, National Institute of Occupational Health (ICMR), Meghaninagar, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India. E-mail:
Ann Ist Super Sanita. 2014;50(1):28-37. doi: 10.4415/ANN_14_01_05.
Methylmercury (MeHg) is recognized as one of the most hazardous environmental pollutants. This may be a concern to long-term consumption of contaminated fish and seafood for health risk to pregnant women and their children.
An animal study was conducted to assess the effect of MeHg exposure on rodent offspring following in utero exposure.
Pregnant Wister rats were treated by gavage with MeHg at dose levels of 0.5, 1.0 and 2.0 mg/kg/day from gestation day (GD) 5 till parturition, and then were allowed to deliver.
Dams treated with 2.0 mg/kg/day MeHg group showed signs of toxicity such as gait alterations and hyperactivity resulting in the failure to deliver sustainable viable pups. MeHg had significant effects on body weight gain of dams during GD 5 till parturition. MeHg had no significant effects on the ages of physical developments such as pinna detachment, incisor eruptions or eye opening as well as alter cliff avoidance, surface righting, swimming ontogeny, startle reflex, pivoting, negative geotaxis, or forelimb and hindlimb grip strength in either sex. Exposure to 1.0 mg/kg/day MeHg treatment group prolonged gestation period, retard mid-air righting in male pups, shortened forelimb grip strength measured on rotating rod in either sex and enhanced open field behaviour in male pups. Data obtained from Functional Observation Battery (FOB) also revealed impairment of neuromotor performance in male pups. The male pups appeared to be more susceptible than the female pups.
Overall, the dose level of MeHg in the present study produced a few adverse effects on the neurobehavioral parameters, and it may alter neuromotor performance of the male pups.
甲基汞（MeHg）被认为是最具危害性的环境污染物之一。长期食用受污染的鱼类和海鲜可能会对孕妇及其子女的健康构成风险，这一点值得关注。
进行一项动物研究，以评估子宫内暴露于甲基汞对啮齿动物后代的影响。
从妊娠第5天（GD）至分娩，对怀孕的Wister大鼠经口灌胃给予剂量为0.5、1.0和2.0mg/kg/天的甲基汞，然后让其分娩。
给予2.0mg/kg/天甲基汞处理的母鼠出现了毒性迹象，如步态改变和多动，导致无法产出可持续存活的幼崽。甲基汞对妊娠第5天至分娩期间母鼠的体重增加有显著影响。甲基汞对耳廓分离、门齿萌出或睁眼等身体发育年龄以及对悬崖回避、翻正反射、游泳个体发育、惊吓反射、旋转、负趋地性或前肢和后肢抓握力等在两性中均无显著影响。暴露于1.0mg/kg/天甲基汞处理组的母鼠妊娠期延长，雄性幼崽在空中翻正延迟，两性在旋转杆上测量的前肢抓握力缩短，雄性幼崽的旷场行为增强。从功能观察组合（FOB）获得的数据还显示雄性幼崽神经运动性能受损。雄性幼崽似乎比雌性幼崽更易受影响。
总体而言，本研究中甲基汞的剂量水平对神经行为参数产生了一些不利影响，并且可能改变雄性幼崽的神经运动性能。
