RGD Reference Report - Effects of postnatal exposure to methylmercury on spatial learning and memory and brain NMDA receptor mRNA expression in rats. - Rat Genome Database

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Effects of postnatal exposure to methylmercury on spatial learning and memory and brain NMDA receptor mRNA expression in rats.

Authors: Liu, W  Wang, X  Zhang, R  Zhou, Y 
Citation: Liu W, etal., Toxicol Lett. 2009 Aug 10;188(3):230-5. Epub 2009 May 3.
RGD ID: 2325985
Pubmed: PMID:19409459   (View Abstract at PubMed)
DOI: DOI:10.1016/j.toxlet.2009.04.021   (Journal Full-text)

The extreme vulnerability of developing nervous system to methylmercury (MeHg) is well documented. Still unclear is the consequence of different postnatal period exposure to MeHg. We investigated the critical postnatal phase when MeHg induced neurotoxicity in rats and the underlying mechanism. Rats were given 5mg/(kg day) methylmercury chloride (MMC) orally on postnatal day (PND) 7, PND14, PND28, and PND60 for consecutive 7 days. A control group was treated with 0.9% sodium chloride solution 5 ml/(kg day) instead. On PND69, spatial learning and memory was evaluated by Morris water maze test. Behavior deficits were found in MMC-treated rats of PND7 and PND14 groups (p<0.01). N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor 2 subunits mRNA expressions were evaluated 3 days after the last administration. In hippocampus, the mRNA expression of NR2A and NR2B decreased, but the NR2C expression increased in PND14 group following MMC-treatment (p<0.01). In cerebral cortex, mRNA expression of NR2A decreased, with NR2C expression elevating in PND14 group following MMC-treatment (p<0.05). These observations suggest that the postnatal exposure to MeHg during PND7-20 could cause neurobehavioral deficits which extend to adulthood. Furthermore, the abnormal expression of NMDAR 2 subunits might associate with the impairment.

Gene Ontology Annotations    Click to see Annotation Detail View

Biological Process
TermQualifierEvidenceWithReferenceNotesSourceOriginal Reference(s)
cerebral cortex development  IEP 2325985; 2325985 RGD 
response to methylmercury  IEP 2325985; 2325985 RGD 

Objects Annotated

Genes (Rattus norvegicus)
Grin2a  (glutamate ionotropic receptor NMDA type subunit 2A)
Grin2b  (glutamate ionotropic receptor NMDA type subunit 2B)


Additional Information