Acute postnatal exposure to the pentaBDE commercial mixture DE-71 at 5 or 15 mg/kg/day does not produce learning or attention deficits in rats

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), flame retardant chemicals added to polymer products, have become ubiquitous in the environment, and they are bioaccumulating in humans and wildlife. Therefore, understanding their biological effects is important for public health. We have previously observed learning deficits in rats exposed to DE-71, a commercial PBDE mixture consisting primarily of pentabrominated diphenyl ethers, at a dose of 30 mg/kg/day from postnatal day (PND) 6 to 12. The purpose of the current study was to determine if this effect could be seen with lower doses of DE-71. Long–Evans rats were administered daily oral doses of corn oil alone or DE-71, 5 or 15 mg/kg/day, dissolved in corn oil, from PND 6 to 12. As young adults, the rats were administered a series of five-choice visual learning and attention tasks. No effects of DE-71 were found on learning, attention, or inhibitory control. Given that developmental DE-71 exposure at similar doses and for shorter time periods has been shown in other laboratories to affect locomotion and hyperactivity, the current results suggest that cognitive functions may not be as sensitive as neuromotor functions to the effects of acute DE-71 exposure.

► The effects of early postnatal exposure to DE-71 on learning and attention in rats were explored.
► Rats received oral doses of DE-71 (0, 5, or 15 mg/kg) from postnatal day 6 to 12.
► There were no effects of DE-71 exposure on any of the behavioral measures.
► These DE-71 doses may be too low to produce effects on learning and attention.