The purpose of the present study was to investigate if acute exposure to diphenyl ditelluride (PhTe)2 causes impairment of developmental behavioral performance in rat pups. Rat pups received a single subcutaneous injection of (PhTe)2 (0.1 mg kg-1, 3 mL kg-1) or vehicle (3 mL kg-1) at 14th postnatal day. After exposure to (PhTe)2, the general parameters of neurotoxicity, behavioral tasks, cerebral myelin content, histological analysis and acetilcholinesterase (AChE) activity were performed during seven days. The appearance of classic signs of toxicity, behavioral alterations and the reduction in myelin content were dependent on the time after (PhTe)2 exposure to pups. Neuronal damage, reduction of myelin content, and the increase in AChE activity occurred mainly at 4th and 5th day after (PhTe)2 exposure, indicating that the critical period of neurotoxicity is coincident with the major behavioral alterations. In conclusion, exposure to (PhTe)2 induced neurotoxicity and impairment of developmental behavioral in rat pups.
tellurium; neurotoxicity; developmental behavioral; myelin; acetylcholinesterase
