Early life environmental exposure could represent a critical period for the onset of permanent alterations in the structure and function of macromolecules in different organs. Cardiovascular disease can be related to various factors including environmental components. This study evaluates the effect of early life permethrin treatment (1/50 LD50, from 6th to 21st day of life) on heart in adult rats. Increased DNA damage, decrease in plasma membrane fluidity, increase in cholesterol content, protein and lipid oxidation have been measured in cardiac cells population obtained from adult rats treated with permethrin during neonatal period. Moreover the same group showed higher level of cholesterol, IL-1β, IL-2, IFN-γ , rat-Rantes and IL-10 cytokines and decreased albumin content in plasma. No change in homocysteine was detected. Lower cholesterol level and perturbation in the phospholipid lateral diffusion together with a decrease in GSH level and increase in GPx activity were measured in heart mitochondria from treated group. Our finding supports the evidence that neonatal period of life plays a critical role in the development of adulthood heart disease. We hypothesize that the alterations observed in adult rats are influenced by epigenetic changes occurred during neonatal period that can modify gene expression finally affecting different parameters related to cardiac functions.
Heart damage in adult rats following early life permethrin treatment
NASUTI, Cinzia Carla;GABBIANELLI, Rosita;FEDELI, Donatella
2011-01-01
Abstract
Early life environmental exposure could represent a critical period for the onset of permanent alterations in the structure and function of macromolecules in different organs. Cardiovascular disease can be related to various factors including environmental components. This study evaluates the effect of early life permethrin treatment (1/50 LD50, from 6th to 21st day of life) on heart in adult rats. Increased DNA damage, decrease in plasma membrane fluidity, increase in cholesterol content, protein and lipid oxidation have been measured in cardiac cells population obtained from adult rats treated with permethrin during neonatal period. Moreover the same group showed higher level of cholesterol, IL-1β, IL-2, IFN-γ , rat-Rantes and IL-10 cytokines and decreased albumin content in plasma. No change in homocysteine was detected. Lower cholesterol level and perturbation in the phospholipid lateral diffusion together with a decrease in GSH level and increase in GPx activity were measured in heart mitochondria from treated group. Our finding supports the evidence that neonatal period of life plays a critical role in the development of adulthood heart disease. We hypothesize that the alterations observed in adult rats are influenced by epigenetic changes occurred during neonatal period that can modify gene expression finally affecting different parameters related to cardiac functions.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
