Neurotoxicology最新文献

{"title":"Early-life bisphenol A exposure causes detrimental age-related changes in anxiety, depression, learning, and memory in juvenile and adult male rats: Involvement of NMDAR/PSD-95–PTEN/AKT signaling pathway","authors":"Ahmed S. Al-Shami ,&nbsp;Medhat Haroun ,&nbsp;Amina E. Essawy ,&nbsp;Nermine Moussa ,&nbsp;Heba-Tallah Abd Elrahim Abd Elkader","doi":"10.1016/j.neuro.2024.11.006","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.neuro.2024.11.006","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Bisphenol A (BPA) is an endocrine disruptor monomer that is widely used in the manufacturing of epoxy resins and polycarbonate plastics. Several lines of evidence indicate the function of the pre- or perinatally PI3K/AKT signaling pathway in the development of psychiatric disorders. The present study aimed to evaluate for the first time the effect of modifying the NMDAR/PSD-95–PTEN/AKT signaling pathway on behavioral and synaptic plasticity of early-life BPA exposure and its long-lasting influence on juvenile and adulthood stages of development. We investigated the effects of oral BPA doses of 50 and 125 mg/kg/day on the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and hippocampus of male Sprague Dawley rats from postnatal day (PND) 18–60 and PND 18–95, which correspond to juvenile and adolescent stages, respectively. Subsequently, we performed a series of rat behavioral tests, including the open field, elevated plus-maze, forced swimming, and Y-maze. Notably, neurotransmitter levels such as dopamine, serotonin, and gamma-aminobutyric acid, levels of postsynaptic density protein 95 and cAMP response element-binding protein, as well as mRNA levels of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor subunits, fluctuated between reduction and elevation in the PFC and hippocampus. Furthermore, phosphatase and tensin (PTEN) mRNA and protein levels were upregulated in both brain areas, while PI3K, protein kinase B (AKT) and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) mRNA and protein levels were decreased. Finally, our findings indicate that postnatal BPA exposure promotes long-term anxiety and depressive-like behaviors, as well as cognitive impairment, <em>via</em> modulation of the NMDAR/PSD-95–PTEN/AKT pathway. These findings could help to elucidate the potential developmental and neurobehavioral effects of early-life BPA exposure.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19189,"journal":{"name":"Neurotoxicology","volume":"106 ","pages":"Pages 17-36"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142770782","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Impact of chronic toxoplasmosis in pregnancy: Association between maternal IgG antibodies against T. gondii and neurocognitive development effects","authors":"Victor Otero Martinez ,&nbsp;Nathália Ribeiro dos Santos ,&nbsp;Homègnon Antonin Ferréol Bah ,&nbsp;Erival Amorim Gomes Junior ,&nbsp;Daisy Oliveira Costa ,&nbsp;Maria Isabel Santos Silveira Souza ,&nbsp;Chrissie Ferreira de Carvalho ,&nbsp;Nara Côrtes Andrade ,&nbsp;José Antônio Menezes-Filho","doi":"10.1016/j.neuro.2024.12.001","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.neuro.2024.12.001","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Toxoplasmosis presents notable hazards in the context of pregnancy, impacting the health of the mother and the neurodevelopment of the fetus via immune reactions and possible vertical transmission. The maternal immune response from chronic <em>Toxoplasma</em> gondii <em>(T. gondii)</em> infection may negatively influence fetal neurodevelopment. This research evaluated the association between the seroprevalence of chronic <em>T. gondii</em> and cytomegalovirus infection in pregnant women and the neuropsychological development of their children at 12 months of age. A follow-up study evaluated women during the gestational period and their respective infants. The pregnant women were tested for the presence of antibodies to infectious agents: <em>T. gondii</em>, cytomegalovirus (CMV), syphilis, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B and C. Detailed information about the newborns was extracted from medical records. At 12 ± 3 months of age, the infant's neurodevelopment was assessed using the Bayley-III Scales of Infant and Toddler Development by a trained specialist under the supervision of a neuropsychologist. A statistically significant association was found between maternal IgG anti-<em>T. gondii</em> levels and lower scores on the Bayley-III cognition scale, with a non-standardized β-coefficient of −0.078 (95 %-CI: −0.144 to −0.013), accounting for 35.1 % of the variation in this outcome. These results suggest that chronic maternal <em>T. gondii</em> infection, even without vertical transmission, may be associated with subtle changes in the child's cognitive development. Therefore, monitoring and early intervention are essential to identify and address possible delays in childhood neurodevelopment related to chronic maternal toxoplasmosis.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19189,"journal":{"name":"Neurotoxicology","volume":"106 ","pages":"Pages 10-16"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142786282","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"MR study on white matter injury in patients with acute diquat poisoning","authors":"Xueshan Cao ,&nbsp;Bo Sui ,&nbsp;Bailin Wu ,&nbsp;Zuojun Geng ,&nbsp;Bo Song","doi":"10.1016/j.neuro.2024.12.002","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.neuro.2024.12.002","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objective</h3><div>To explore the microstructural damage of white matter in acute diquat (DQ) poisoning patients using diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI) and Tract-based Spatial Statistics (TBSS).</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>This study included 19 DQ poisoning patients and 19 age-matched controls. MRI was performed using a 3.0 T Philips Achieva scanner with sequences including 3D T1WI, T2WI, DWI, 3D T2WI-FLAIR, and DKI (3 b-values, 15 directions). DICOM to NIFTI image form conversion was done using MRIcron's Dcm2niigui, followed by motion and eddy current correction with FSL to create a brain mask. Scalar indicators (MK, AK, RK, FAK) were calculated with DKE software. TBSS was used for spatial normalization, skeletonization, and projection of DKI indices for group analysis with TFCE for multiple comparison correction (P &lt; 0.025).</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>After the screening and enrollment process, 19 DQ-poisoned patients and 19 healthy volunteers were analyzed. No significant age or sex differences were found between groups. For Mean Kurtosis (MK), the right corticospinal tract showed a significant difference with a mean difference of 0.21 (95 % CI: 0.15–0.27) and P = 0.000503. Axial Kurtosis (AK) in the left superior longitudinal fasciculus had a mean difference of 0.18 (95 % CI: 0.12–0.24) and P = 0.0024. Fractional Anisotropy of Kurtosis (FAK) in the right corticospinal tract showed a mean difference of 0.19 (95 % CI: 0.13–0.25) and P = 0.0000318. Axial Kurtosis (AK) positively correlated with blood drug levels (r = 0.52, P &lt; 0.05). Seven patients developed subcortical leukodystrophy, mainly in the frontal parietal lobe, with possible insular lobe involvement.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>DQ poisoning primarily damages the right corticospinal tract, right cingulate gyrus, and left superior longitudinal fasciculus, potentially causing movement and visual impairments. The injury involves demyelination and axonal degeneration, with asymmetrical damage between hemispheres. The left superior longitudinal fasciculus injury is dose-dependent, and unlike prior studies, dopaminergic nuclei were unaffected. The frontal parietal lobe is predominantly affected, with some insular lobe involvement in DQ poisoning patients.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19189,"journal":{"name":"Neurotoxicology","volume":"106 ","pages":"Pages 37-45"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142792144","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Neurotoxicology and public health issues of cannabis and cannabinoids","authors":"Maxwell C.K. Leung,&nbsp;Edward D. Levin","doi":"10.1016/j.neuro.2024.10.007","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.neuro.2024.10.007","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":19189,"journal":{"name":"Neurotoxicology","volume":"105 ","pages":"Page 334"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2024-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142470945","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"New insight into the molecular etiopathogenesis of konzo: Cyanate could be a plausible neurotoxin contributing to konzo, contrary to thiocyanate","authors":"Marius Baguma ,&nbsp;Sofie Kessels ,&nbsp;Virginie Bito ,&nbsp;Bert Brône ,&nbsp;Antoine Triller ,&nbsp;Stéphanie Maynard ,&nbsp;Pascal Legendre ,&nbsp;Jean-Michel Rigo ,&nbsp;Hervé Le Corronc ,&nbsp;Joelle Nsimire Chabwine","doi":"10.1016/j.neuro.2024.11.004","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.neuro.2024.11.004","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Introduction</h3><div>Chronic cassava-derived cyanide poisoning is associated with the appearance of konzo, a tropical spastic paraparesis due to selective upper motor neuron damage. Whether the disease is caused by a direct action of cyanide or its metabolites is still an open question. This preliminary study assessed the neurotoxic effects of thiocyanate (SCN) and cyanate (OCN), two cyanide metabolites hypothesized to be plausible toxic agents in konzo.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Cultured mouse neuroblastoma (Neuro-2A) and human neuroblastoma (SH-SY5Y) cell lines were incubated (24, 48, and 72 hours) in sodium OCN or sodium SCN in a disease-relevant concentration range. Cell viability, caspase (3, 8, and 9) activities, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation were evaluated using appropriate assay kits. Additionally, electrophysiological responses induced by OCN and SCN in primary spinal cord neurons (from Sprague Dawley rats) were assessed by whole-cell patch-clamp techniques.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Both OCN and SCN were toxic in a dose-dependent way, even if SCN toxicity appeared at very high concentrations (30 mM, corresponding to more than 100-fold higher than normal plasmatic levels), contrary to OCN (0.3–3 mM). OCN was markedly more toxic in a poor culture medium (MEM; IC50 = 3.2 mM) compared to a glucose- and amino acid-rich medium (DMEM; IC50=7.6 mM). OCN treatment increased the ROS generation by 8.9 folds, as well as the Caspase-3, Caspase-8, and Caspase-9 activities by 3.2, 2.5, and 2.6 folds, respectively. Finally, OCN (and SCN to a lesser extent) induced depolarizing currents in primary spinal cord neurons, through an activation of ionotropic glutamate receptors.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Our results suggest OCN as the most plausible neurotoxic agent involved in konzo, while SCN toxicity could be questioned at such high concentrations. Also, they support apoptosis, oxidative stress, and excitotoxicity as probable mechanisms of OCN neurotoxicity.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19189,"journal":{"name":"Neurotoxicology","volume":"105 ","pages":"Pages 323-333"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2024-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142746997","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The interaction between plasma polymetals and lifestyle on cognitive dysfunction in occupational aluminum exposed workers: A cross-sectional study in China","authors":"Tianshu Wang ,&nbsp;Lingshan Xue ,&nbsp;Chenyang Li ,&nbsp;Dan Zhao ,&nbsp;Jiaping Huan ,&nbsp;Xiao Han ,&nbsp;Jing Song ,&nbsp;Linping Wang ,&nbsp;Huifang Zhang ,&nbsp;Qiao Niu ,&nbsp;Baolong Pan ,&nbsp;Jinzhu Yin ,&nbsp;Xiaoting Lu","doi":"10.1016/j.neuro.2024.11.002","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.neuro.2024.11.002","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objective</h3><div>To investigate the interaction between plasma polymetallic exposure and lifestyle factors on cognitive function abnormalities in occupational aluminum workers. The aim is to develop a new occupational health management model that integrates lifestyle behaviors with occupational activities to comprehensively protect the health of these workers.</div></div><div><h3>Method</h3><div>476 Participants were recruited from an aluminum factory in Shanxi, China. Cognitive functioning was assessed using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment Scale (MoCA). Plasma polymetallic levels were measured using ICP-MS. Logistic regression analyzed the relationship between nine plasma metals, lifestyle factors, and cognitive abnormalities. A 3D model validated the interaction between metals and analyzed the combined effects of plasma metals and lifestyle on MoCA scores. The Chi-squared Automatic Interaction Detector (CHAID) decision tree was used to identify factors influencing cognitive dysfunction.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>High blood aluminum concentration (&gt;47.85 μg/L), high blood lithium concentration(&gt;3.15 μg/L), as well as sleep time(≤7 h and &gt; 8 h), smoking, alcohol consumption, and length of mobile phone use(≥2 h) were risk factors for abnormal cognitive functioning. In addition aluminum and lithium have a multiplicative interaction on cognitive function(OR=1.86,95 %<em>CI</em>:1.14,3.050). There was an interaction between high plasma levels of aluminum and lithium and smoking on cognitive function in workers, and an interaction between high plasma levels of aluminum and lithium and sleep duration ≤7 or &gt;8 h on cognitive function in workers.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>The levels of blood metal elements aluminum and lithium, as well as sleep time, smoking, drinking, and length of mobile phone use, are risk factors for cognitive dysfunction in occupational aluminum workers. There are the synergetic effect to increase the risk of cognitive dysfunction between blood aluminum concentration ≥50.59μg/L and blood lithium concentration ≥3.44μg/L, sleep duration ≤7h&amp; &gt;8 h, smoking, drinking, mobile phone use ≥2 h.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19189,"journal":{"name":"Neurotoxicology","volume":"105 ","pages":"Pages 313-322"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2024-11-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142693204","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Developmental exposure of zebrafish to saxitoxin causes altered expression of genes associated with axonal growth","authors":"Neelakanteswar Aluru ,&nbsp;Daniel P. Chapman ,&nbsp;Kevin W. Becker ,&nbsp;Benjamin A.S. Van Mooy ,&nbsp;Sibel I. Karchner ,&nbsp;John J. Stegeman ,&nbsp;Mark E. Hahn","doi":"10.1016/j.neuro.2024.11.003","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.neuro.2024.11.003","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Saxitoxin (STX) is a potent neurotoxin naturally produced by dinoflagellates and cyanobacteria. STX inhibits voltage-gated sodium channels (VGSCs), affecting the propagation of action potentials. Consumption of seafood contaminated with STX is responsible for paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP). Humans are among the species most sensitive to PSP; neurological symptoms of exposure range from tingling of the extremities to severe paralysis. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of STX exposure on developmental processes during early embryogenesis. This study was designed to test the hypothesis that early developmental exposure to STX would disrupt key processes, particularly those related to neural development. Zebrafish embryos were exposed to STX (24 or 48 pg) or vehicle (0.3 mM HCl) at 6 h post fertilization (hpf) via microinjection. There was no overt toxicity but starting at 36 hpf there was a temporary lack of pigmentation in STX-injected embryos, which resolved by 72 hpf. Using high performance liquid chromatography, we found that STX was retained in embryos up to 72 hpf in a dose-dependent manner. Temporal transcriptional profiling of embryos exposed to 48 pg STX per embryo revealed no differentially expressed genes (DEGs) at 24 hpf, but at 36 and 48 hpf, there were 3547 and 3356 DEGs, respectively. KEGG pathway analysis revealed significant enrichment of genes related to focal adhesion, adherens junction and regulation of actin cytoskeleton, suggesting that cell-cell and cell-extracellular matrix interactions were affected by STX. Genes affected are critical for axonal growth and the development of functional neural networks. We confirmed these findings by visualizing axonal defects in transgenic zebrafish with fluorescently labeled sensory neurons. In addition, our gene expression results suggest that STX exposure affects both canonical and noncanonical functions of VGSCs. Given the fundamental role of VGSCs in both physiology and development, these findings offer valuable insights into effects of exposure to neurotoxins.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19189,"journal":{"name":"Neurotoxicology","volume":"105 ","pages":"Pages 303-312"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2024-11-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142686952","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"ATF5-mediated mitochondrial unfolded protein response protects against Pb-induced mitochondria damage in SH-SY5Y cell","authors":"Yihan Xu ,&nbsp;Min Liu ,&nbsp;Sikang Gao ,&nbsp;Xiaoyi Li ,&nbsp;Jun Chen ,&nbsp;Fang Ye","doi":"10.1016/j.neuro.2024.11.001","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.neuro.2024.11.001","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Mitochondria is the primary target of lead (Pb) in neural cells, and Pb exposure can cause impairment to mitochondrial function and morphology. Recent studies have reported that a conserved cellular stress response, called mitochondrial unfolded protein response (mtUPR), is activated in response to mitochondrial dysfunction and protein misfolding and play protective roles in aging and neurodegeneration, but it’s unknown whether mtUPR could protect against Pb-induced neurotoxicity. In this study, we found that sublethal level exposure of PbAc (2.5 μM) could cause mitochondria damage and then activate mtUPR by promoting the expression of mitochondrial proteases (LonP1 and ClpP), molecular chaperone (HSPA1A). ATF5 mediated mtUPR activation as knocking out ATF5 significantly inhibited Pb-induced LonP1 and ClpP expression. Moreover, ATF5 deficiency exacerbated Pb-induced mitochondrial morphological and oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) functional damage, resulting in oxidative stress and ultimately promoting cell death. Conversely, overexpression of ATF5 confers protection against Pb-induced oxidative stress and cell death. Collectively, thess results highlight that mtUPR mediated by ATF5 safeguards against mitochondria damage caused by Pb exposure, providing insights into the development of new strategies for mitigating the Pb neurotoxicity.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19189,"journal":{"name":"Neurotoxicology","volume":"105 ","pages":"Pages 293-302"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2024-11-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142639230","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Vilazodone exposure during pregnancy: Effects on embryo-fetal development, pregnancy outcomes and fetal neurotoxicity by BDNF/Bax-Bcl2/5-HT mediated mechanisms","authors":"Priyanka Agrawal ,&nbsp;Pallavi Singh ,&nbsp;K.P. Singh","doi":"10.1016/j.neuro.2024.10.012","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.neuro.2024.10.012","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The high prevalence of major depressive disorder (MDD) among women of childbearing age necessitates careful consideration of antidepressant use during pregnancy. Although newer antidepressants, such as Vilazodone (VLZ), are preferred for their enhanced therapeutic profiles; however, their safety during pregnancy and long-term effects on offspring brains remain inadequately addressed. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the reproductive and developmental neurotoxicity of VLZ given at equivalent therapeutic doses during gestation in a rat model. Pregnant Wistar dams were orally administered either with 1 mg/day or 2 mg/day of VLZ from gestation day (GD) 6–21. The dams were sacrificed at GD 21, and the placentas and fetuses were collected. Fetal brains were then subjected to neurohistopathological, neurochemical, and biochemical analysis. Prenatal exposure to VLZ at 2 mg/day resulted in significant maternal, reproductive, and embryo-fetal toxicity, characterized by reduced food intake, diminished weight gain in pregnant dams, and smaller litter sizes, along with decreased fetal and placental weights. These effects were associated with developmental neurotoxicity, which manifested as decreased fetal brain size and weight, a substantial reduction in neocortical layer thickness, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) expression, serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine neurotransmitter levels (5-HT, DA, and NE), and increased apoptotic activity (Bax and Bcl-2 ratio) and acetylcholinesterase levels in the developing brain. Our findings indicate that prenatal VLZ exposure interfere with crucial brain development processes involving the BDNF/Bax-Bcl2/5-HT signalling pathways, leading to long-lasting neurodevelopmental impairments. This study is the first to document the adverse effects of VLZ on fetal brain development, highlighting the need for further research to assess the safety of VLZ use during pregnancy.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19189,"journal":{"name":"Neurotoxicology","volume":"105 ","pages":"Pages 280-292"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2024-11-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142624723","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The relationship between lead levels and reading acquisition in Spanish speakers, evidence from Uruguayan schoolers","authors":"Natalia Agudelo ,&nbsp;Ariel Cuadro ,&nbsp;Gabriel Barg ,&nbsp;Elena I. Queirolo ,&nbsp;Nelly Mañay ,&nbsp;Katarzyna Kordas","doi":"10.1016/j.neuro.2024.10.011","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.neuro.2024.10.011","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Lead is a well-known neurotoxicant that continues to affect children´s cognition and behavior. Nevertheless, we still have little evidence on the consequences of lead exposure on reading abilities, particularly in languages other than English.</div></div><div><h3>Objective</h3><div>To investigate the cross-sectional association between blood lead levels (BLL), and pre-reading and reading abilities in first-grade children from Montevideo, Uruguay.</div></div><div><h3>Method</h3><div>Of 357 school children (age 67–105 months) enrolled into the study, 287(43 % girls) had a BLL measure and an assessment of pre-reading and reading abilities based on five tests (Verbal comprehension, Sound blending, Letter word identification, Sentence reading fluency, and Passage comprehension) from the Batería III Woodcock-Muñoz. Separate generalized linear models (GLM) were conducted on the relationship between BLL and each test score separately, adjusting for sex, maternal education, household assets, Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment Inventory score, season, test administrator, blood lead testing method, and school clusters.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The mean BLL was 4.0 ± 2.2 µg/dL, with no differences between the sexes. BLL was associated with a poorer vocabulary knowledge (β [95 % CI]): −0.20 [-0.39, 0.01]. For all the tests, children with BLLs ≥5 µg/dL tended to exhibit poorer performance than children with lower BLLs, but these associations were not statistically significant. When stratified by sex, some evidence of differential associations between BLLs and reading abilities emerged: BLLs were associated with higher phonological awareness in girls (0.32 [0.15, 0.48]) but not boys, and with lower reading comprehension in boys (-0.54 [-1.20, 0.13]) but not girls. Also, lead exposure (BLL ≥ 5 µg/dL) was more strongly and negatively associated with phonological awareness (-1.22 [-1.57, −0.86]) in boys than girls.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>In this study of first-grade children learning to read in Spanish, we found an inverse association between lead exposure and vocabulary scores, as well as tendency toward lower performance on pre-reading and reading measures among children with BLLs ≥5 µg/dL. Pre-reading and reading abilities are relevant to literacy acquisition; further research is required to confirm these links in larger studies, and to investigate differences between boys and girls, and according to key sociodemographic characteristics.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19189,"journal":{"name":"Neurotoxicology","volume":"105 ","pages":"Pages 272-279"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2024-11-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142624722","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}