Fetal exposure to methylmercury (MeHg) has long-lasting effects on sensory-motor function, schedule-controlled behavior, learning (not memory) and sensitivity to certain behaviorally active drugs. Human and animal studies now associate developmental or adult MeHg exposure with age-related declines in certain behavioral functions. Nutritional influences also modify mercury's neurotoxicity, although how these interact through the lifespan is not well understood. This is important both mechanistically and because of concerns that a low RfD for MeHg would decrease consumption of fish, a source of selenium and n-3 fatty acids, especially docosahexanoic acid (DHA). In previous work, rats on a chow diet consuming 40 or 500 mg/kg/day Hg (as MeHg) showed age- and dose-related decrements on high-rate operant behavior, retarded learning, and altered sensitivity to amphetamine and pentobarbital. Proposed studies extend these observations by examining age and diet as modifiers of MeHg's neurobehavioral toxicity. High-rate operant behavior will be examined using a refined procedure (targeted percentile schedule) that maintains high response rates but without lowering reinforcement rates if behavior deteriorates. Concurrent schedule performance in transition, which now can be conducted in single sessions, will be the measure of learning. Fixed-interval (FI) schedule performance will be examined per se and as a baseline for drug challenges. Female rats will start one of three diets (modified semipurified, DHA-enriched, Se-enriched) for two weeks, then MeHg exposure (0. 0.5, or 5 ppm in drinking water) for two weeks, then they will be mated. Maternal rats will continue the diets and mercury exposure to 30 months of age, and their behavior examined under a targeted percentile schedule of reinforcement. During this time they will receive selected drug challenges. At death mercury levels in blood and brain, Se (in the Se cohort) and DHA in the DHA cohort) will be examined. Offspring will be maintained on the different diets and used as follows: 1) Hg and Se or FA profile determination PN1; 2) FI schedule performance in transition with drug challenges: 3) Targeted percentile schdule performance, and 4) Concurrent schedule performance in transition with drug challenges. Items 2-4 will be conducted as adults and 3-4 to 30 months of age. At death Hg and either Se or FA profiles will be determined, depending on the cohort.
Showing the most recent 10 out of 15 publications
