Impacts of environmental chemicals on brain development: evaluation of transcriptome profile using neuronal primary culture

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24510087
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Risk sciences of radiation/Chemicals
• Research Institution: Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science
• Principal Investigator: KIMURA-KURODA Junko (木村純子) 公益財団法人東京都医学総合研究所, 脳発達・神経再生研究分野, 研究員 (20142151)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): HAYASHI Masaharu 公益財団法人東京都医学総合研究所, 脳発達・神経再生研究分野, 参事研究員 (00280777) ; KAWANO Hitoshi 公益財団法人東京都医学総合研究所, 脳発達・神経再生研究分野, 研究員 (20161341) ; KOMUTA Yukari 公益財団法人東京都医学総合研究所, 脳発達・神経再生研究分野, 研究員 (60566850)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 環境化学物質 / 脳・神経 / 脳発達 / 神経毒性 / シナプス形成 / 培養神経細胞 / 農薬ネオニコチノイド

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Neonicotinoid pesticides are used worldwide. With similar chemical structures to nicotine (NIC), neonicotinoids also share agonist activity at nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs). Because nAChRs are important for mammalian brain development, investigations on chronic effects of neonicotinoids are needed to protect the children’s health. We examined the effects of long-term (14 days) exposure of two neonicotinoids or NIC at a concentration of 1 μM, on cerebellar cultures from neonatal rats. We conducted transcriptome microarray analyses and observed significant differential expressions (more than 1.5 fold) in genes of control versus each treatment. Common genes to three treatments included two types of calcium channels and a subfamily of G-protein coupled receptors, essential for neurodevelopment. Chronic low dose exposure to neonicotinoids may cause significant alterations to the transcriptome of the mammalian developing brain that correlate with developmental disorders.

Free Research Field

発達神経毒性学、環境科学、化学物質影響科学