PMID- 11677185
DA - 20011025
IS - 0091-6765
VI - 109 Suppl 5
DP - 2001 Oct
TI - A Rat Model of the Cognitive Impairment from (italic)Pfiesteria piscicida (/italic)Exposure.
PG - 757-63 AB - (italic)Pfiesteria piscicid(/italic)a Steidinger & Burkholder, an estuarine dinoflagellate known to kill fish, has also been associated with neurocognitive deficits in humans. We have developed a rat model to determine the cause-and-effect relationship between exposure to (italic)Pfiesteria(/italic)-containing water and cognitive impairment and to determine the neurobehavioral mechanisms underlying the (italic)Pfiesteria(/italic) effect. The rat model of (italic)Pfiesteria(/italic) toxicity can also provide important information concerning the toxin or toxins responsible for neurocognitive deficits resulting from (italic)Pfiesteria(/italic) exposure. With the rat model we have repeatedly documented a (italic)Pfiesteria(/italic)-induced choice accuracy impairment during radial-arm maze learning. The (italic)Pfiesteria(/italic)-induced impairment was relatively specific to the acquisition phase of training. When rats were pretrained, (italic)Pfiesteria(/italic) treatment did not affect performance. However, when these same rats were retrained on another task, the (italic)Pfiesteria(/italic)-induced impairment became evident. (italic)Pfiesteria(/italic)-induced effects were also seen in a locomotor activity test in the figure-8 apparatus and selected components of the functional observational battery. (italic)Pfiesteria(/italic) effects on choice accuracy in the radial-arm maze in rats constitute a critical component of the model of (italic)Pfiesteria(/italic) toxicity, as the hallmark of (italic)Pfiesteria(/italic) toxicity in humans is cognitive dysfunction. Our finding that analysis of the first six sessions of radial-arm maze testing is sufficient for determining the effect means that this test will be useful as a rapid screen for identifying the critical neurotoxin(s) of (italic)Pfiesteria(/italic) in future studies.
AD - Integrated Toxicology Program, Departments of Psychiatry and Pharmacology,
Duke University Medical Center and Nicholas School of the Environment,
Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA.
FAU - Levin, E D
AU - Levin ED
LA - eng
PT - Journal Article
CY - United States
TA - Environ Health Perspect
JID - 0330411
SB - IM
EDAT- 2001/10/26 10:00
MHDA- 2001/10/26 10:00
AID - sc271_5_1835 [pii]
PST - ppublish
SO - Environ Health Perspect 2001 Oct;109 Suppl 5:757-63.