Perinatal exposure to type I and type II pyrethroids provoke persistent behavioral effects during rat offspring development

Abstract

Background: Pesticides have been extensively used around the word but concerns over their influence on environment and health is growing. Synthetic pyrethroids are potent insecticides considered to be neurotoxicant.

Hypothesis: We hypothesize that perinatal exposure to type I (Cypermethrin ) and type II (d-Allehtrin) pyrethroids would produce behavioral effects on offspring during development.

Methods: Pregnant Wistar rats were exposed during gestation and lactation periods, and their pups were evaluated for somatic and sensory motor changes after weaning, and for locomotor activity, motor coordination, and anxiety-like behavior at post natal day 23 and 75 (PND23 and PND25).

Results: Cyp and All provoked somatic and sensory-motor reflex alterations in weaned pups. In PND23 pups both Cyp and All decreased locomotor activity and motor coordination, and provoke anxiogenic-like effect. In PND75 pups both Cyp and All decreased locomotor activity and motor coordination. Cyp but not All provoked anxiogenic-like effect.

Conclusion: Perinatal exposure to selected type I (d-allethrin) and type II (cypermethrin) pyrethroids provoked physical and sensory-motor alterations in weaned pups and persistent behavioral effects during offspring development, suggesting Cyp with a major power to cause neurotoxicity through time.