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Updated: Mar 28, 2026
Long-term Behavioral and Reproductive Consequences of Embryonic Exposure to Low-dose Toxicants
Published on: March 6, 2018
Behavioral effects in mice of postnatal exposure to low-doses of 137-cesium and bisphenol A
Luis Heredia1, Montserrat Bellés2, Maria Isabel LLovet3
1Laboratory of Toxicology and Environmental Health, School of Medicine, IISPV, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Reus, Spain; CRAMC (Research Center for Behavior Assessment), Department of Psychology, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Reus, Spain.
Insights
Neonatal exposure to low-dose radiation ((137)Cs) increased anxiety and impaired learning in mice. Bisphenol A (BPA) co-exposure did not alter these radiation-induced effects on neurobehavior.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Toxicology
- Developmental Biology
Background:
- Bisphenol A (BPA) is a widely used plasticizer linked to potential neurobehavioral concerns.
- Limited data exists on low-dose ionizing radiation effects during early brain development.
- The combined impact of radiation and environmental chemicals like BPA is largely unknown.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effects of low-dose internal radiation ((137)Cs) and/or BPA exposure on neonatal mice.
- To assess the impact of these exposures on anxiety, activity, learning, and memory in adulthood.
Main Methods:
- C57BL/6J mice were exposed to (137)Cs and/or BPA on postnatal day 10.
- Neurobehavioral assessments, including tests for anxiety, activity, learning, and memory, were conducted at two months of age.
Main Results:
- Radiation exposure ((137)Cs), alone or with BPA, significantly increased anxiety-like behaviors.
- Activity levels remained unchanged across all exposure groups.
- Mice exposed to (137)Cs alone exhibited impaired learning and spatial memory.
- Co-exposure to BPA did not prevent the learning and memory deficits induced by radiation.
Conclusions:
- Neonatal low-dose radiation exposure can induce lasting anxiety and cognitive deficits.
- Bisphenol A does not mitigate the neurobehavioral effects of low-dose radiation in this model.
- Further research is needed to understand the complex interactions between environmental chemicals and radiation during critical developmental periods.
Abstract:
Bisphenol A (BPA) is the most important plasticizer used in many household products such as polycarbonate plastics or epoxy resins. Public and scientific concerns exist regarding the possibility that the neonatal exposure to BPA may contribute to neurobehavioral disorders. On the other hand, there is little information on the effects of low doses of ionizing radiation during critical phases of postnatal brain development, as well as the combination of radiation and environmental chemicals. In this study, C57BL/6J mice were exposed to low doses of internal radiation ((137)Cs), and/or BPA on postnatal day 10 (PND10). At the age of two months, animals were submitted to several tests to assess anxiety, activity, learning, and memory. Results showed that exposure to (137)Cs, alone or in combination with BPA, increased the anxiety-like of the animals without changing the activity levels. Animals exposed to (137)Cs showed impaired learning, and spatial memory, an impairment that was not observed in the groups co-exposed to BPA.
