Neurological Effects of Perinatal Exposure to a Combination of Manganese In Drinking Water and Non-Chemical Stressors
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Perinatal life experiences, including the physiological and psychological well-being of the mother, may alter susceptibility to adverse health risks throughout one’s lifetime. Although many organ systems may be affected, the developing brain is particularly vulnerable to disruption, as structural and functional reprograming are difficult to reverse. Sustained increases in levels of maternal stress hormones during gestation may alter neonatal neural development. Both chemical and non-chemical factors may influence developmental programming but are rarely examined in combination. Manganese (Mn) is an essential element that is required for normal development but is a neurotoxicant with higher exposure levels. Our objective was to examine effects of repeated moderate-level stressors during the gestation and lactation periods, produced by a rotating battery of variable, unpredictable, and noninvasive non-chemical manipulations, coupled with exposure to Mn (0, 2, 4 mg/mL) in drinking water. A battery cognitive and non-cognitive behavioral measures were examined in the offspring, from neonates through adulthood. Both Mn and perinatal stressors altered several behavioral tasks, with cognitive functions seemingly having the largest changes. In several tests, the changes produced by Mn and stress attenuated the effect of the other factor, and the changes may differ between the gender of the offspring. The results suggest that both chemical and non-chemical factors can produce long lasting changes in brain function, and non-chemical stressors may play a role in differential susceptibility of various populations. This is an abstract of a proposed presentation and does not necessarily reflect US EPA policy.