Effects of perinatal exposure to n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and methylmercury on cerebellar and behavioral parameters in mice

• Published in: Food and chemical toxicology 2018-10, Vol.120, p.603-615
• Main Authors: Ghizoni, Heloisa, Ventura, Marina, Colle, Dirleise, Gonçalves, Cinara Ludvig, de Souza, Viviane, Hartwig, Juliana Montagna, Santos, Danúbia Bonfanti, Naime, Aline Aita, Cristina de Oliveira Souza, Vanessa, Lopes, Mark William, Barbosa, Fernando, Brocardo, Patricia S., Farina, Marcelo
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Behavior, Animal - drug effects; Cerebellum; Cerebellum - drug effects; Cerebellum - metabolism; Cerebellum - physiopathology; Development; Fatty Acids, Omega-3 - pharmacology; Feeding Behavior - drug effects; Female; Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein - metabolism; Homeostasis; Maternal Exposure; Methylmercury; Methylmercury Compounds - toxicity; Mice; Motor Activity - drug effects; n-3 Polyunsaturated fatty acids; Neuroglia - drug effects; Neurons - drug effects; Neuroprotective Agents - pharmacology; Neurotoxicity; Pregnancy
• ISSN: 0278-6915; 1873-6351
• DOI: 10.1016/j.fct.2018.08.004

Fish and shellfish, which represent important sources of nutrients (i.e., n-3 fatty acids), can contain significant amounts of methylmercury (MeHg), a neurotoxic compound. We investigated the potential neuroprotective effects of perinatal treatment with dietary n-3 fatty acids against MeHg-induced neurotoxicity. Pregnant mice were divided in 4 groups: (i) Control; (ii) MeHg; (iii) n-3 enriched diet and (iv) n-3 enriched diet + MeHg. The treatments were performed from gestational day 1 to postnatal day 21. Twenty-four hours after treatments, motor-related behavioral tests, as well as the analyses of cerebellar biochemical, histological and immunohistochemical parameters related to neuronal and glial homeostasis, were performed. Maternal exposure to MeHg induced motor coordination impairment and cerebellar MeHg accumulation in the offspring and n-3 fatty acids treatment did not prevent these effects. The immunocontent of proteins related to synaptic homeostasis, glial fibrillary acidic protein immunostaining and morphology were not significantly altered in the pups perinatally exposed to MeHg and/or n-3 diet. The results indicate that perinatal exposure to MeHg causes motor coordination impairment even with no evident changes on the evaluated cerebellar biochemical and histological parameters. The performed exposure protocol was unable to show beneficial effects of n-3 fatty acids supplementation against MeHg-induced motor coordination. •Developmental low dose MeHg exposure caused motor coordination impairment in mouse pups.•This was observed with no evident changes on cerebellar biochemistry/histology.•N-3 fatty acids supplementation did not prevent MeHg-induced motor coordination impairment.