Age-dependent dopaminergic dysfunction following fetal exposure to atrazine in SD rats

•ATR is one of the top environmental contaminants that has resulted in documented human exposure.•Gestational exposure to ATR leads to persistent alterations the genes expression in the dopaminergic System.•ATR had a long-lasting effect on Nurr1.

The herbicide, atrazine (ATR), is used worldwide and its contamination in the environment has resulted in documented human exposure. It has also been shown that ATR results in dopaminergic neurotoxicity, however, few studies have investigated the long-term effects of ATR following in utero exposure. Therefore, we evaluated the effects of ATR exposure in Sprague Dawley rats during gestational on the offspring dopaminergic system development. Pregnant dams were treated with oral ATR at 0, 25, 50 mg/kg/day from gestational day 0 to postnatal day 1. In this study, we examined the hypothesis that ATR could cross the placental barrier and have long-term adverse effects on the synthesis, degradation and reuptake of DA in the brain. For this purpose,we examine the concentration of levodopa (L-DA), dopamine (DA), 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC), and homovanillic acid (HVA) in stratum. The mRNA and protein expression of orphan nuclear hormone (Nurr1), tyrosine hydroxylase(TH), vesicular monoaminetransporter 2 (VMAT2), dopamine transporter (DAT), monoamine (MAO), and catechol-O-methyl transferase (COMT) in the midbrain were examined by fluorescence PCR and Western blot when the offspring reached six-month old or one year old .When measured 6 months post-treatment, the level of DA and expression of Nurr1, VMAT2, DAT and TH were reduced in the striatum and Substantia nigra, respectively.