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Evaluation of the Effects of Chronic Intoxication with Inorganic Mercury on Memory and Motor Control in Rats

2014; Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute; Volume: 11; Issue: 9 Linguagem: Inglês

10.3390/ijerph110909171

1661-7827

Francisco Bruno Teixeira, Rafael M. Fernandes, Paulo Mecenas, Natacha Malu Miranda da Costa, Luanna Melo Pereira Fernandes, Luana Santana, Ademir Ferreira da Silva-Júnior, Marcia Silva, Cristiane do Socorro Ferraz Maia, Rafael Rodrigues Lima,

Heavy Metal Exposure and Toxicity

The aims of this study were to evaluate whether chronic intoxication with mercury chloride (HgCl2), in a low concentration over a long time, can be deposited in the central nervous tissue and to determine if this exposure induces motor and cognitive impairments. Twenty animals were intoxicated for 45 days at a dose of 0.375 mg/kg/day. After this period, the animals underwent a battery of behavioral tests, in a sequence of open field, social recognition, elevated T maze and rotarod tests. They were then sacrificed, their brains collected and the motor cortex and hippocampus dissected for quantification of mercury deposited. This study demonstrates that long-term chronic HgCl2 intoxication in rats promotes functional damage. Exposure to HgCl2 induced anxiety-related responses, short- and long-term memory impairments and motor deficits. Additionally, HgCl2 accumulated in both the hippocampus and cortex of the brain with a higher affinity for the cortex.