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Paternal Glufosinate Ammonium Exposure Leads to Memory Dysfunction in Offspring Mice
Zhilu Pei1,2, Dayu Hu1,2, Jie Sun3,4
1Key Laboratory of Modern Toxicology of Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, No.101 Longmian Road, Nanjing 211166, China.
Toxics
|May 27, 2026
Summary
Paternal exposure to glufosinate ammonium (GLA) herbicide before conception caused memory deficits and brain changes in female offspring. These findings highlight risks associated with paternal GLA exposure during development.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Toxicology
- Developmental Biology
Background:
- Glufosinate ammonium (GLA) is a common herbicide.
- Potential neurodevelopmental risks from paternal GLA exposure before conception are not well understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the neurodevelopmental effects of paternal preconception GLA exposure on offspring.
- To assess behavioral and neurological changes in F1 offspring following paternal GLA exposure.
Main Methods:
- Adult male mice received GLA (0.2 mg/kg·day) for 10 weeks before mating.
- Offspring neurobehavior was assessed at 5 weeks of age.
- Brain tissue analysis included Golgi staining, glial/neuronal markers, TUNEL staining, and cytokine analysis.
Main Results:
- Female offspring exhibited reduced social novelty preference and impaired spatial learning/memory.
- Male offspring showed no significant memory-related behavioral differences.
- Paternal GLA exposure led to reduced dendritic complexity, increased apoptosis, elevated glial markers, and altered cytokine profiles in offspring brains.
Conclusions:
- Paternal preconception GLA exposure is linked to specific memory deficits and brain alterations in juvenile offspring.
- Findings suggest the importance of considering paternal exposure in developmental risk assessments.
- GLA exposure impacts glial, inflammatory, and apoptotic pathways in the developing brain.
