Disorders of the Nervous System
Author: Lucia Trossero | Email: lucia.trossero@hotmail.com
Lucia Trossero 1°, Abraham Ramirez 2°, Alejandra Maria Pacchioni 3°, Cintia Konjuh 4°
1° Laboratorio de Toxicología Experimental, Área Toxicología, Departamento de Ciencias de los Alimentos y el Medioambiente, Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Rosario, Santa Fe, ARGENTINA.
2° Laboratorio de Toxicología Experimental, Área Toxicología, Departamento de Ciencias de los Alimentos y el Medioambiente, Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Rosario, Santa Fe, ARGENTINA.CONICET-CCT Rosario.
3° Laboratorio de Toxicología Experimental, Área Toxicología, Departamento de Ciencias de los Alimentos y el Medioambiente, Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Rosario, Santa Fe, ARGENTINA.CONICET-CCT Rosario.
4° Laboratorio de Toxicología Experimental, Área Toxicología, Departamento de Ciencias de los Alimentos y el Medioambiente, Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Rosario, Santa Fe, ARGENTINA.
2,4-D is currently the second most widely used herbicide in the world. Previous evidence from our laboratory indicates that it produces neurotoxic effects in animal models and may contribute to cognitive and psychiatric disorders related to dopaminergic alterations. These changes could also modify the vulnerability to psychoactive substances. Our goal is to determine whether oral exposure to low doses of 2,4-D for a period of 20 days induces changes in the cocaine stimulant effects and whether these changes depend on sex. For this purpose, PND30 rats of both sexes were fed for 20 days with either regular or 2,4-D contaminated food (25 mg/kg/day). Thereafter, in PND50 the rats were individually placed in motor activity boxes. After an hour of habituation, they received a cocaine (5 mg/kg i.p.) or saline injection, and motor response was evaluated for another 2 hours.
Although our results are preliminary, they would indicate that female rats experience a significant increase in exploratory response in a novel environment when exposed to 2,4-D. Also, the motor response to cocaine in 2,4-D-treated animals would be different from saline in female rats. In contrast, male rats appeared to show similar results regardless of prior exposure. Even though these results are preliminary, we are confident that they will provide insight into the potential impact of exposure to environmental contaminants on vulnerability to cocaine.