Exposure of mothers to diphenyl ditelluride during the suckling period changes behavioral tendencies in their offspring

The long-lasting possible influence of maternal exposure to 0.03 mg/kg of diphenyl ditelluride during the first 14 days of lactational period on later offspring behavior was examined in Wistar rats. Open-field locomotor activity, spontaneous alternation in the T-maze, behavior in the elevated plus-maze, motor coordination in the coat-hanger and rotorod tasks were evaluated in 30 day old pups. There were no significant specific overt signs of maternal intoxication. There were a small (less than 5%) but significant transitory differences in the body weight gain of pups between exposed and control groups, which were apparent from day 30 of suckling. Locomotor activity in the open-field task was similar between telluride and control groups. In the coat-hanger test, the latency before falling for the tellurium group was higher than that of the control group. However, the behavior of both groups was similar in the rotorod test and spontaneous alternation in the T-maze. Tellurium-treated pups presented a higher number of entries and spent more time in the open arms of the elevated plus-maze than control pups. The behavioral alterations observed here after tellurium exposure can be cautiously interpreted as an indication of behavioral disinhibition. In conclusion, this study demonstrated that dam exposure to diphenyl ditelluride can cause subtle behavioral changes in the offspring, which can be related to neurotoxic effects of diphenyl ditelluride.