The potential reproductive, neurobehavioral and systemic effects of soluble sodium tungstate exposure in Sprague-Dawley rats

Journal Article · Fri Jul 15 00:00:00 EDT 2011 · Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.taap.2010.04.021· OSTI ID:21587790

McInturf, S M ^[1]; Bekkedal, M Y.V. ^[2]; Wilfong, E ^[3]; Arfsten, D ^[4]; Chapman, G ^[1]

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1. Naval Medical Research Unit at Dayton (NAMRU), Wright Patterson Air Force Base, OH (United States)
2. Two Steps Forward, LLC, Sun Prairie, WI (United States)
3. U.S. Naval Academy, 572M Holloway Road, Annapolis, MD (United States)
4. Navy Drug Screening Laboratory P.O. Box 113, Naval Air Station Jacksonville, FL (United States)

The debate on tungsten (W) is fostered by its continuous usage in military munitions. Reports demonstrate W solubilizes in soil and can migrate into drinking water supplies and, therefore, is a potential health risk to humans. This study evaluated the reproductive, systemic and neurobehavioral effects of sodium tungstate (NaW) in rats following 70 days of daily pre-and postnatal exposure via oral gavage to 5, 62.5 and 125 mg/kg/day of NaW through mating, gestation and weaning (PND 0-20). Daily administration of NaW produced no overt evidence of toxicity and had no apparent effect on mating success or offspring physical development. Distress vocalizations were elevated in F{sub 1} offspring from the high dose group, whereas righting reflex showed unexpected sex differences where males demonstrated faster righting than females; however, the effects were not dose-dependent. Locomotor activity was affected in both low and high-dose groups of F{sub 1} females. Low-dose group showed increased distance traveled, more time in ambulatory movements and less time in stereotypic behavior than controls or high dose animals. The high-dose group had more time in stereotypical movements than controls, and less time resting than controls and the lowest exposure group. Maternal retrieval was not affected by NaW exposure. Tungsten analysis showed a systemic distribution of NaW in both parents and offspring, with preferential uptake within the immune organs, including the femur, spleen and thymus. Histopathological evidence suggested no severe chronic injury or loss of function in these organs. However, the heart showed histological lesions, histiocytic inflammation from minimal to mild with cardiomyocyte degeneration and necrosis in several P{sub 0} animals of 125 mg NaW dose group. The result of this study suggests that pre and postnatal exposure to NaW may produce subtle neurobehavioral effects in offspring related to motor activity and emotionality.

• OSTI ID: 21587790
• Journal Information: Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology, Vol. 254, Issue 2; Conference: TRAC 2008/2009 meeting: 2008 Toxicology and Risk Assessment Conference;2009 Toxicology and Risk Assessment Conference, West Chester, OH (United States);West Chester, OH (United States), 14-17 Apr 2008;27-30 Apr 2009; Other Information: DOI: 10.1016/j.taap.2010.04.021; PII: S0041-008X(11)00044-5; Copyright (c) 2011 Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam, The Netherlands, All rights reserved.; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0041-008X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES
CONTROL
DOSES
DRINKING WATER
FEMALES
FEMUR
HEALTH HAZARDS
HEART
INFLAMMATION
MALES
MILITARY EQUIPMENT
PROGENY
RATS
SEX
SODIUM
SPLEEN
THYMUS
TUNGSTATES
TUNGSTEN
ALKALI METALS
ANIMALS
BODY
CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEM
ELEMENTS
EQUIPMENT
HAZARDS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
LYMPHATIC SYSTEM
MAMMALS
METALS
ORGANS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PATHOLOGICAL CHANGES
REFRACTORY METAL COMPOUNDS
REFRACTORY METALS
RODENTS
SKELETON
SYMPTOMS
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
TUNGSTEN COMPOUNDS
VERTEBRATES
WATER