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This thesis examined neurotoxic effects of nicotine exposure during a defined critical period of neonatal brain development in mice.

In our environment there are numerous hazardous contaminants that an individual can be exposed to during its entire lifetime. In many mammalian species the neonatal period is characterised by a rapid development of the brain. The present studies have identified a defined critical period during the neonatal brain development in mice, where exposure to low doses of nicotine causes permanent disturbances in the cholinergic nicotinic receptors and altered behaviour response to nicotine at adult age. This adult reaction to nicotine, a hypoactive response, was the opposite of that observed in control animals and animals exposed to nicotine before or after this period. Animals showing a hypoactive response to nicotine lacked nicotinic low affinity binding sites in the cerebral cortex. Furthermore, neonatal exposure to nicotine affected learning and memory in adult animals, an effect that was time-dependent. This thesis also showed that neonatal exposure to nicotine increased adult susceptibility to a repeated exposure of nicotine, manifested as an even more pronounced effect in spontaneous behaviour after challenging doses of nicotine. In these animals the nicotinic receptors in the cerebral cortex, assayed by a-bungarotoxin, was decreased.

Neonatal exposure to nicotine was also shown to increase adult susceptibility to the organophosphate paraoxon, a known cholinergic agent, and to the brominated flame retardant 2,2´,4,4´,5-pentabromodiphenyl ether, a novel environmental agent, at adult age. This was seen at doses that did not affect behaviour in control animals, and was manifested as deranged spontaneous behaviour and reduced habituation, aberrations that also worsened with age.

The results indicate that differences in adult susceptibility to environmental pollutants are not necessarily an inherited condition. Rather they may well be acquired by low dose exposure to toxic agents during early life.

Low-dose exposure of neonatal mice to nicotine has earlier been shown to induce an altered behavioral response to nicotine in adulthood. Organophosphorus insecticides are known to affect the cholinergic system by inhibition of acetylcholinesterase. This study was undertaken to investigate whether neonatal exposure to nicotine makes mice more susceptible to a known cholinergic agent. Neonatal, 10-day-old, male mice were exposed to nicotine-base (33 microg/kg body weight) or saline s.c. twice daily on five consecutive days. At 5 months of age the animals were exposed to paraoxon (0.17 or 0.25 mg/kg body weight [29% and 37% inhibition of cholinesterase, respectively]) or saline sc every second day for 7 days. Before the first paraoxon injection, the animals were observed for spontaneous motor behavior. The spontaneous motor behavior test did not reveal any differences in behavior between the treatment groups. Immediately after the spontaneous behavior test, the animals received the first injection of paraoxon and were observed for acute effects of paraoxon on spontaneous motor behavior. The acute response to paraoxon in the spontaneous motor behavior test was a decreased level of activity in mice neonatally exposed to nicotine. Control animals showed no change in activity. Two months after the paraoxon treatment, the animals were again tested for spontaneous motor behavior. Animals neonatally exposed to nicotine and exposed to paraoxon as adults showed a deranged spontaneous motor behavior, including hyperactivity and lack of habituation.

Neonatal exposure to low doses of nicotine has been shown to disturb the development of low-affinity nicotinic binding sites in the cerebral cortex and to elicit a deviant behavioural response to nicotine in adult mice. In this study, 10-day-old male NMRI mice were exposed to one of three different doses of nicotine (3.3, 33, or 66 μg nicotine-base/kg body wt.) s.c. twice daily on 5 consecutive days to study dose–response effects of nicotine on adult spontaneous and nicotine-induced motor behaviour. The nicotine-induced behaviour test revealed a hypoactive response to nicotine in 4-month-old mice neonatally exposed to 33 or 66 μg nicotine-base, whereas the response to nicotine in control animals and mice exposed to 3.3 μg nicotine-base was an increased activity. Learning and memory functions were also investigated in adult animals neonatally exposed to 66 μg nicotine-base/kg body wt. in the same manner, in the Morris water maze and in the Radial arm maze. In the swim maze and the Radial arm maze tests, no significant differences were observed between nicotine-treated and control animals at the age of 4 months. At 7 months, however, a significant difference in performance was evident, indicating a time-response/time-dependent effect. Furthermore, it was shown that in mice exposed neonatally to a nicotine dose known to inhibit the development of the nicotinic low affinity-binding site (LA), the response to nicotine could not cause any increase in spontaneous motor activity as seen in controls.

The xenobiotic-metabolizing activity of avian heart was investigated in chicken and Eider duck embryos exposed to aryl hydrocarbon (Ah) receptor agonists in ovo. Both beta-naphthoflavone (BNF) and 3,3',4,4',5-pentachlorobiphenyl (PCB 126) induced 7-ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase (EROD) activities in chicken embryo hearts whereas Eider duck embryos only responded to BNF. The differential responses of chicken and Eider duck embryos were used to examine the involvement of Ah receptor-mediated enzyme induction in the activation of the environmental and food mutagen 3-amino- 1,4-dimethyl-5H-pyrido[4,3-b]indole (Trp-P-1). As determined by light microscopic autoradiography, there was a highly selective binding of non-extractable 3H-Trp-P-1-derived radioactivity in endothelial cells of large vessels and capillaries in hearts of BNF- and PCB 126-treated chicken embryos. No binding occurred at these sites in vehicle-treated controls. There was also a strong endothelial binding of 3H-Trp-P-1 in hearts of BNF-treated Eider duck embryos whereas no binding occurred in hearts of PCB 126-treated Eider duck embryos. A positive correlation between induction of EROD activity and covalent binding of 3H-Trp-P-1 to protein in heart homogenates from BNF- and PCB 126-treated chicken and Eider duck embryos was also observed. The results suggest a cytochrome P450 1A (CYP1A)-mediated activation of Trp-P-1 in avian heart endothelial cells although involvement of other Ah receptor-regulated enzymes is also possible. We propose that heart endothelial cells may be targets for bioactivation and toxicity of environmental contaminants in birds exposed to Ah receptor agonists.

The chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) is a highly vascularized tissue that takes part in the respiratory exchange of gases through the eggshell. Although the CAM may be exposed to environmental contaminants, its response to pollutants has not been studied. We examined the cytochrome P4501A (CYP1A)-catalyzed deethylation of 7-ethoxyresorufin (EROD) in the CAM during chicken embryo development. EROD was constitutively present and was inducible by the aryl hydrocarbon (Ah) receptor agonist 3,3′,4,4′,5-pentachlorobiphenyl (PCB 126). Our results suggest the CAM as a first line of defence of the avian embryo against toxic compounds, but also as a target for CYP1A-activated chemicals.

This thesis deals with the highly potent olfactory mucosa toxicant 2,6-dichlorophenyl methylsulphone (2,6-diClPh-MeSO₂) and its non-toxic 2,5-chlorinated isomer (2,5-diClPh-MeSO₂). In mice, both substances bind firmly in the olfactory mucosa and the olfactory bulb, which are important components of the sensory system. The 2,6-isomer induces olfactory mucosal necrosis with permanent loss of olfactory neuroepithelium and olfactory nerves. A major objective was to clarify the cause of this isomer-specific toxicity, and to identify which physicochemical characteristics determine the olfactory toxicity. The neurobehavioural toxicity of these substances was also examined.

The results revealed a rapid CYP-catalysed covalent binding of 2,6-diClPh-MeSO₂ in the rat olfactory mucosa, whereas the 2,5-dichlorinated isomer was not covalently bound.

Acute and chronic olfactory mucosal pathology were investigated and compared in rats and mice. Twenty-four hours after dosing to rats, 2,6-diClPh-MeSO₂ induced Bowman’s glands necrosis and sloughing of the olfactory epithelium similar to that previously reported in mice. At 3 weeks, however, there were dramatic differences in histological lesions. In mice, large parts of olfactory epithelium were replaced by respiratory-like epithelium. Large, bilateral, fibrous, cartilage and bone containing polyps occluding the lumen were confirmed. In rats, only minor patches of olfactory epithelium were replaced by a metaplastic atypical respiratory-like epithelium. 2,5-diClPh-MeSO₂ was non-toxic in rats as well as in mice.

In mice, 2,6-diClPh-MeSO₂ induced a dose-dependent and long-lasting ( ≥12 weeks) hyperactivity as well as long-lasting maze learning deficits. At 2 weeks hyperactivity and maze learning deficits were observed also in rats. Unexpectedly, 2,5-diClPh-MeSO₂ induced hyperactivity that lasted for two weeks. No effect on maze learning was observed with this isomer. No major differences between male and female rats or mice were found.

In conclusion, the results show that a CYP-catalysed formation and covalent binding of a reactive 2,6-diClPh-MeSO₂-metabolite in the Bowman’s glands precede the high olfactory mucosal toxicity in rodents. As determined by QSAR-modelling, a 2,6-dichlorinated benzene derivative with a large, polar, and strong electron withdrawing substituent in the primary position has the potential of being an olfactory mucosal toxicant. The observed 2,6-diClPh-MeSO₂-induced increase in motor activity, and maze learning deficits, were not correlated to the olfactory mucosal lesions. I propose that 2,6-diClPh-MeSO₂ causes a direct effect in the brain leading to neurobehaviuoral deficits.