Vanadium exposure through lactation produces behavioral alterations and CNS myelin deficit in neonatal rats

The current study was performed to assess the vanadium(V)-induced developmental toxicity in sucklings of Wistar rats. Dams of treated litters were intraperitoneally injected with 3 mg NaVO(3)/kg body weight/day during 12 days starting on postnatal day (PND) 10. Surface righting reflex, negative geotaxy and hindlimb support tests were performed on pups every 48 h, from 8th to 18th PND. Open field test was performed on the 21st PND. On 22nd PND, some animals were transcardially perfusion-fixed and their brains were removed and cut with a cryostat. Brain sections were processed for myelin histochemistry and for anti-myelin basic protein immunohistochemistry. Delay in eye opening and decreased muscular strength and locomotion were observed in V-exposed pups of both sexes. A decreased myelin staining in corpus callosum and cerebellum in these pups was also observed. Results suggest that vanadium exposure through lactation would induce neurotoxicity in rat developing CNS.