Pre- and postnatal exposure to low dose XXXX induces @entity2438 -like phenotypes in @entity19 .

@entity9984 @entity19 @entity2438 @entity2370 @entity25889 @entity29531 @entity2359
@entity25889 ( @entity9984 ) is one of the most widely used herbicides in agriculture. As is the case for most pesticides, potential adverse effects of @entity9984 have not been studied from the perspective of developmental @entity2359 . Early pesticides exposure may weaken the basic structure of the developing brain and cause permanent changes leading to a wide range of lifelong effects on health and/or behavior. Here, we addressed the developmental impact of @entity9984 by exposing female @entity19 to low dose @entity9984 during both pre- and postnatal periods and analyzed potential developmental and behavioral changes of the offspring during infancy and adulthood. A neurobehavioral test battery revealed significant effects of @entity9984 maternal exposure on early reflex development, pup communication, affiliative behaviors, and preference for social olfactory cues, but emotional reactivity and emotional memory remained unaltered. These behavioral alterations showed a striking resemblance to changes seen in animal models of @entity2438 . At the brain level, @entity9984 maternal exposure caused some increase in relative brain weight of the offspring. In addition, reduced expression of @entity2370 and @entity29531 - two genes implicated in @entity2438 -like deficits - was observed in the brain of @entity9984 -exposed pups at postnatal day 15. Our work thus provides new data on the link between pre- and postnatal exposure to the herbicide @entity9984 and the onset of @entity2438 -like symptoms later in life. It also raises fundamental concerns about the ability of current safety testing to assess risks of pesticide exposure during critical developmental periods.
