Back to Search
Start Over
Transgenerational transmission of behavioral phenotypes produced by exposure of male mice to saccharin and nicotine.
- Source :
-
Scientific reports [Sci Rep] 2020 Jul 20; Vol. 10 (1), pp. 11974. Date of Electronic Publication: 2020 Jul 20. - Publication Year :
- 2020
-
Abstract
- The use of non-nutritive sweeteners such as saccharin is widely prevalent. Although saccharin is considered safe for human consumption, it produces behavioral changes in experimental animals. We report that saccharin's behavioral effects are much more pervasive than currently recognized. In a mouse model, saccharin exposure produced motor impulsivity not only in the saccharin-exposed males but also in their offspring. In addition, the offspring showed locomotor hyperactivity and working memory deficit not observed in fathers. Spermatazoal DNA was hypermethylated in the saccharin-exposed fathers, especially at dopamine receptor promoter regions, suggesting that epigenetic modification of germ cell DNA may mediate transgenerational transmission of behavioral phenotypes. Dopamine's role in hyperactivity was further highlighted by the finding that the stimulant drug methylphenidate mitigated the hyperactivity. Nicotine is another substance that is widely used. Its use via smokeless tobacco products, some of which contain saccharin, is on the rise contributing to concerns about adverse outcomes of co-exposure to saccharin and nicotine. We found that co-exposure of male mice to saccharin and nicotine produced significant behavioral impairment in their offspring. Thus, our data point to potential adverse neurobehavioral consequences of exposure to saccharin alone or saccharin and nicotine for the exposed individuals and their descendants.
- Subjects :
- Animals
Body Weight drug effects
Crosses, Genetic
DNA Methylation drug effects
DNA Methylation genetics
Drinking Behavior drug effects
Female
Male
Methylphenidate pharmacology
Mice, Inbred C57BL
Motor Activity drug effects
Phenotype
Spermatozoa drug effects
Spermatozoa metabolism
Behavior, Animal drug effects
Nicotine pharmacology
Saccharin pharmacology
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 2045-2322
- Volume :
- 10
- Issue :
- 1
- Database :
- MEDLINE
- Journal :
- Scientific reports
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 32686722
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-68883-6