Possible neurotoxic effects induced by endosulfan exposure during pregnancy and lactation in striatum
of
Sprague-Dawley female and male offspring rats have been evaluated. Dams were treated orally with
0.61
or 6.12 mg of endosulfan/kg/day from the beginning of gestation until weaning. At postnatal day 60
offspring
were sacrificed. We studied variations of norepinephrine, dopamine and serotonin content in
striatum
by High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) in these animals. Dopamine and serotonin
metabolism
was also determined. Endosulfan inhibits the striatal aminergic systems in adult male rats
by
decreasing norepinephrine and serotonin concentration and dopamine and serotonin metabolism.
However,
in adult female rats, only a diminution of norepinephrine content and an increase of dopamine
and
serotonin content were observed after endosulfan administration at the dose of 6.12 mg/kg/day,
whereas
the concentration and the metabolism of these biogenic amines were not with the dose of
0.61
mg/kg/day. Gender differences emerge in the striatal aminergic system susceptibility to endosulfan
exposure
during the early life stages, being the neurotoxic effects of this organochlorine insecticide higher
in
malethaninfemalerats.