Neurotoxic effects induced by endosulfan exposure during pregnancy and lactation in female and male rat striatum

Possible neurotoxic effects induced by endosulfan exposure during pregnancy and lactation in striatum of Sprague-Dawley female and male offspring rats have been evaluated. Dams were treated orally with 0.61 or 6.12 mg of endosulfan/kg/day from the beginning of gestation until weaning. At postnatal day 60 offspring were sacrificed. We studied variations of norepinephrine, dopamine and serotonin content in striatum by High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) in these animals. Dopamine and serotonin metabolism was also determined. Endosulfan inhibits the striatal aminergic systems in adult male rats by decreasing norepinephrine and serotonin concentration and dopamine and serotonin metabolism. However, in adult female rats, only a diminution of norepinephrine content and an increase of dopamine and serotonin content were observed after endosulfan administration at the dose of 6.12 mg/kg/day, whereas the concentration and the metabolism of these biogenic amines were not with the dose of 0.61 mg/kg/day. Gender differences emerge in the striatal aminergic system susceptibility to endosulfan exposure during the early life stages, being the neurotoxic effects of this organochlorine insecticide higher in male than in female rats.