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Acute and subacute exposure to malathion impairs aversive but not non-associative memory in rats

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Abstract

Malathion [S-(1,2-dicarbethoxy) ethyl-0,0-dimethyl-phosphorodithioate] is an organophosphorus compoun that is widely used as pesticide especially in developing countries. This pesticide affects the central nervous system by inhibiting acetylcholinesterase, leading to an increase of acetylcholine in the synaptic cleft, and subsequent activation of cholinergic muscarinic and nicotinic receptors. In humans, intoxication with organophosphates causes a wide range of neurological symptoms, including memory deficits. The present study was aimed to investigate the effects of the acute (1 h prior the test) and subacute (once a day for 28 days) exposure to malathion at doses of 25, 50, 100 and 150 mg/kg in rats tested in the step-down inhibitory avoidance task, open-field habituation and elevated plus-maze tests. Interestingly, the acute and subacute treatment with malathion impaired aversive-memory in the step-down inhibitory avoidance task, but did not alter the animal performance in the elevated plus-maze and in the habituation to the open-field tests, and neither modified spontaneous locomotion. The activity of acetylcholinesterase enzyme was significantly reduced after subacute, but not acute, treatment with malathion (25, 100 and 150 mg/kg). Our results suggest that malathion impairs aversive-memory retention but not non-associative memory, without affecting anxiety-related behaviors. These findings support the view that the inhibition of acetylcholinesterase enzyme is not correlated with cognitive deficits observed in acute and subacute malathion-treated rats.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratório de Neurociências, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde, Universidade do Extremo Sul Catrinense, 88806-000, Criciúma, SC, Brazil

    Samira S. Valvassori, Jucélia J. Fortunato, Karin M. Gomes, Gislaine Z. Réus, Márcio R. Martins, Elaine C. Gavioli & João Quevedo

  2. Laboratório de Fisiopatologia Experimental, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde, Universidade do Extremo Sul Catarinense, 88806-000, Criciúma, SC, Brazil

    Felipe Dal-Pizzol

  3. Departamento de Quimica, Centro de Ciências Naturais e Exatas, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, 97105-900, Santa Maria, RS, Brazil

    Maria Rosa C. Schetinger

Authors
  1. Samira S. Valvassori
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  2. Jucélia J. Fortunato
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  3. Karin M. Gomes
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  4. Gislaine Z. Réus
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  5. Márcio R. Martins
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  6. Elaine C. Gavioli
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  7. Maria Rosa C. Schetinger
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  8. Felipe Dal-Pizzol
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  9. João Quevedo
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Correspondence to João Quevedo.

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Valvassori, S.S., Fortunato, J.J., Gomes, K.M. et al. Acute and subacute exposure to malathion impairs aversive but not non-associative memory in rats. neurotox res 12, 71–79 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03033902

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