Anxiety and memory deficits induced by tannery effluent in C57BL/6J female mice

• Published in: Environmental science and pollution research international 2016-12, Vol.23 (24), p.25323-25334
• Main Authors: Guimarães, Abraão Tiago Batista, de Oliveira Ferreira, Raissa, de Souza, Joyce Moreira, da Silva, Wellington Alves Mizael, da Silva, Anderson Rodrigo, de LimaRodrigues, Aline Sueli, de Melo e Silva, Daniela, Costa, Renata Mazaro e, da Silva Castro, André Luis, Malafaia, Guilherme
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Agriculture; Animals; Anxiety; Anxiety - chemically induced; Aquatic Pollution; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; Behavior; Behavior, Animal - drug effects; Cognition; Drinking behavior; Drinking water; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecotoxicology; Effluents; Environment; Environmental Chemistry; Environmental Health; Environmental science; Environmental studies; Experiments; Female; Females; Hypotheses; Industrial Waste - analysis; Laboratory animals; Leather & leather products; Locomotion; Male; Maze Learning; Memory Disorders - chemically induced; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Neurotoxicity; Open-field behavior; Pattern recognition; Research Article; Rodents; Statistical analysis; Studies; Swimming; Tannery wastes; Tanning; Toxicity; Waste Disposal, Fluid; Waste Water Technology; Water Management; Water Pollutants, Chemical - toxicity; Water pollution; Water Pollution Control
• ISSN: 0944-1344; 1614-7499
• DOI: 10.1007/s11356-016-7746-2

This study aimed to evaluate the behavior of female C57Bl/6J mice exposed to tannery effluents diluted in drinking water. Female mice were divided into a control group, in which the animals received only drinking water, and experimental groups, which received raw tannery effluent in 7.5 and 15 % concentrations diluted in water (period of 60 days). In the last experimental week, the mice (in diestrus phase) were subjected to different behavioral tests: elevated plus-maze, open-field test, forced swim test, and object recognition test. Our data demonstrated that exposure to tannery effluent increased the anxiety index of animals and decreased the locomotion ratio in the central quadrants/total, indicating an increase in anxiety-like behavior. Regarding the forced swim test, we did not observe changes in the evaluated behaviors. There were no statistically significant differences in the recognition index of the novel and familiar object in the groups exposed to tannery effluent compared with the control group, indicating a possible influence of the constituents of tannery effluent on cognition. Thus, our findings support the hypothesis that effluents, containing neurotoxic substances, could cause behavioral disruptions in female C57Bl/6J mice.