MiR-132, miR-204 and BDNF-TrkB signaling pathway may be involved in spatial learning and memory impairment of the offspring rats caused by fluorine and aluminum exposure during the embryonic stage and into adulthood

• Published in: Environmental toxicology and pharmacology Vol. 63; pp. 60 - 68
• Main Authors: Ge, Qi-Di, Tan, Ying, Luo, Yu, Wang, Wen-Juan, Zhang, Hua, Xie, Chun
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 01.10.2018; Elsevier Science Ltd
• Subjects: Aluminium; Aluminum; Aluminum - toxicity; Animals; BDNF-TrkB signalling pathway; Brain-derived neurotrophic factor; Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor - genetics; Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor - metabolism; Disease Models, Animal; Embryos; Exposure; Female; Fluorine; Fluorine - toxicity; Gene Expression Regulation - drug effects; Hippocampus - drug effects; Hippocampus - metabolism; Human exposure; Impairment; Learning; Learning and memory; Male; Maze Learning - drug effects; Memory; Memory Disorders - chemically induced; Memory Disorders - genetics; Memory Disorders - metabolism; MicroRNAs - genetics; Nervous system; Offspring; Poisons; Pregnancy; Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects - chemically induced; Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects - genetics; Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects - metabolism; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Receptor, trkB - genetics; Receptor, trkB - metabolism; Signal transduction; Signal Transduction - drug effects; Spatial discrimination learning; Spatial Learning - drug effects; Spatial memory; Toxicity; TrkB receptors; Learning and memory; BDNF-TrkB signalling pathway; Offspring; Aluminium; Fluorine
• ISSN: 1382-6689; 1872-7077
• DOI: 10.1016/j.etap.2018.08.011

•Spatial learning and memory of offspring rats were impaired after exposure to fluorine combined with aluminium(FA).•Hippocampal miR-132 and miR-204 were increased after FA exposure.•Hippocampal BDNF-TrkB signaling pathway was down-regulated after FA exposure.•There were antagonistic effects between F and Al, with Al reducing the toxicity of F. Fluorine and aluminium are nervous system poisons, but it remains unclear whether combined fluorine and aluminium exposure damages spatial learning and memory and, if so, by what mechanism. This study showed that exposure to fluorine and aluminium, either alone or combined, during the embryonic stage and into adulthood caused spatial learning and memory impairment in offspring rats; its mechanism may be associated with increases in miR-132 and miR-204 expression and downregulation of the BDNF-TrkB pathway in the hippocampus. The effects of F were obvious, but the effects of Al were slight. There were antagonistic effects between F and Al, with Al reducing the toxicity of F.