NEURODEVELOPMENTAL DISRUPTION INDUCED BY LONG-TERM LOW-DOSE HERBICIDE EXPOSURE: BEHAVIORAL AND NEUROPATHOLOGICAL...

This study evaluated the effects of prolonged exposure to environmentally relevant levels of glyphosate, administered alone or in combination with dicamba and 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), on behavioral outcomes and brain integrity in a rat model. Exposure was initiated during gestation and continued through postnatal development until early adulthood. Animals subjected to herbicide exposure exhibited alterations in locomotor activity, anxiety-related behavior, stress responses, and motor coordination, with more pronounced effects observed following combined exposure. These functional changes were associated with histopathological evidence of neuronal degeneration and vascular alterations, alongside biochemical indicators of oxidative imbalance in brain tissue. Our findings indicate that chronic exposure to low-dose herbicides during critical neurodevelopmental windows may induce persistent neurobehavioral and structural brain changes. The enhanced effects observed under mixture exposure conditions highlight the importance of considering combined environmental exposures in toxicological risk assessment.