Sodium selenite supplementation during pregnancy and lactation promotes anxiolysis and improves mnemonic performance in wistar rats' offspring

Selenium is a micronutrient which is part of selenoprotein molecules and participates in a vast number of physiological roles and, among them, we have fetal and neonatal development. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate possible behavioral changes in offspring of female rats supplemented during pregnancy and lactation with sodium selenite. To address that, we treated two groups of female rats by saline or sodium selenite at a dose of 1 mg/kg through oral route and performed neurochemical and behavioral tests. In the offspring, the thyroid profile and hippocampal neurochemistry were evaluated. Behavioral tests were performed in pups both during childhood and adulthood. We found out that selenium (Se) supplementation increased serum levels of triiodothyronine (25%, p < 0.001) and thyroxine (18%, p < 0.05) and promoted a tryptophan hydroxylase 2 (TPH 2) expression decrease (17%, p < 0.01) and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) expression increase (202%, p < 0.01) in the hippocampus. The cholinesterase activity was decreased (28%, p < 0.01) in Se supplemented rats, suggesting a neurochemical modulation in the hippocampal activity. During childhood, the Se-supplemented offspring had a reduction in anxiety-like behavior both in elevated plus maze test and in light-dark box test. In adulthood, Se-treated pups had an increase in the locomotor activity (36%, p < 0.05) and in rearing episodes (77%, p < 0.001) in the open field test, while in the elevated plus maze test they also exhibited an increase in the time spent in the open arms (243%, p < 0.01). For the object recognition test, Se-treated offspring showed increase in the absolute (230.16%, p < 0.05) and relative index discrimination (234%, p < 0.05). These results demonstrate that maternal supplementation by sodium selenite promoted psychobiological changes both during childhood and adulthood. Therefore, the behavioral profile observed possibly can be explained by neurochemical changes induced by thyroid hormones during the critical period of the central nervous system ontogeny.