The Tohoku Study of Child Development: A Cohort Study of Effects of Perinatal Exposures to Methylmercury and Environmentally Persistent Organic Pollutants on Neurobehavioral Development in Japanese Children

Nakai, Kunihiko; Suzuki, Keita; Oka, Tatsujiro; Murata, Katsuyuki; Sakamoto, Mineshi; Okamura, Koji; Hosokawa, Toru; Takeo, Satoshi; Nakamura, Tomoyuki; Saito, Yoshinori; Kurokawa, Naoyuki; Kameo, Satomi; Satoh, Hiroshi

doi:10.1620/tjem.202.227

Cited by 79 publications

(56 citation statements)

References 33 publications

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“…Besides the toxicity of PCBs, additive or synergic neurodevelopmental effects of prenatal exposure to PCBs and MeHg, which is also an environmental contaminant, have been evidenced in terms of motor dysfunction (Roegge and Schantz 2006) and toxicity to pituitary cells (Johansson et al 2006). A cohort study of child development from the effects of perinatal methylmercury and environmental pollutants (Nakai et al 2004) may uncover the intrinsic effect of prenatal exposure to PCB.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Prenatal Exposure to 3,3',4,4',5-Pentachlorobiphenyl (PCB126) Promotes Anxiogenic Behavior in Rats

Orito

Gotanda

Murakami

et al. 2007

Tohoku J. Exp. Med.

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and FUJIWARA, M. Prenatal Exposure to 3,3′,4,4′, Promotes Anxiogenic Behavior in Rats. Tohoku J. Exp. Med., 2007, 212 (2), [151][152][153][154][155][156][157] Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are environmental contaminants that have adverse effects on the endocrine and nervous systems. As they are still detected in breast milk and adipose tissue in humans, the accumulated PCBs may transfer from mothers to children and damage central nervous system. It is revealed from epidemiological studies that cognitive and motor functions were damaged in children born to mothers who ingested PCBs-contaminated foods. However, it remains unclear whether prenatal exposure to PCBs affects emotionality. In the present study, we therefore examined the effect of prenatal exposure to 3,3′,4, 4′,5-pentachlorobiphenyl (PCB126) on emotionality in rats by focusing on anxiogenic behavior and response of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis to stress. Pregnant rats were treated orally with PCB126 at a dose of 30 μ g/kg or corn oil, its vehicle, on gestational day 15, and their male offspring were subjected to the following experiments at 4-5 weeks old. In an open field test, rats with prenatal exposure to PCB126 showed anxiogenic behavioral responses, including decrease in time spent in the center of an open field and the number of rearings and extension of grooming duration. Interactive behavior, which is an index of anxiety level, was shortened in the social interaction test. The increase in the serum corticosterone level induced by forced swim stress was facilitated by prenatal exposure to PCB126. This evidence suggests that PCB126 may exert anxiogenicity on the offspring of exposed dams, and dysfunction of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis may at least in part contribute to this abnormality.3,3′,4,4′,5-pentachlorobiphenyl (PCB126); prenatal exposure; anxiogenic; corticosterone

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Prenatal Exposure to 3,3',4,4',5-Pentachlorobiphenyl (PCB126) Promotes Anxiogenic Behavior in Rats

Orito

Gotanda

Murakami

et al. 2007

Tohoku J. Exp. Med.

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“…The study protocol of the TSCD has been described elsewhere (Nakai et al 2004). The research took place in two areas, an urban area (i.e., Sendai city of Miyagi prefecture) and a coastal area (i.e., the Sanriku coastal area of the same prefecture) in the Tohoku district of Japan (Nakamura et al 2008;Iwai-Shimada et al 2015;.…”

Section: Study Design and Subjectsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Psychomotor Ability in Children Prenatally Exposed to Methylmercury: The 18-Month Follow-Up of Tohoku Study of Child Development

Tatsuta

Murata

Iwai-Shimada

et al. 2017

Tohoku J. Exp. Med.

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Fish contain nutrients essential to the developing fetal brain, but they are contaminated with methylmercury. The Tohoku Study of Child Development, now underway in the Sanriku coastal area of Miyagi prefecture, Japan, follows mother-child pairs to examine the risks and benefits of fish consumption during pregnancy, especially the effects of prenatal exposures to methylmercury, selenium, and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) on child neurodevelopment. Children aged 18 months were administered the Bayley Scales of Infant Development second edition (BSID-II) and Kyoto Scale of Psychological Development (KSPD) in [2004][2005][2006][2007][2008]. Complete data of cord-blood total mercury (THg), cord-plasma selenium, maternal-plasma DHA, the above test scores, and confounders for 566 mother-child pairs were available. The median cord-blood THg level was 15.7 (range, 2.7-96.1) ng/g. Since the BSID-II and KSPD scores were significantly lower in the 285 boys than in the 281 girls, analyses were conducted separately. The Psychomotor Development Index (PDI) of BSID-II was significantly correlated with cord-blood THg only in the boys, and significance of the association remained unchanged after adjusting for possible confounders; i.e., a 10-fold increase in cordblood THg was associated with a 8.3-point decrease in the score of the PDI. Other significant correlations of THg were not seen in the boys or girls. Selenium and DHA showed no significant correlations with the BSID-II or KSPD scores in either sex. In conclusion, intrauterine methylmercury exposure may affect psychomotor development, and boys appear to be more vulnerable to the exposure than girls.

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“…We only found one Japanese study reporting on ongoing measurements in cord blood using a similar assay (Nakai et al, 2004). The DR-CALUX-assay has the advantage over the classical chemical dioxin/furan analysis, that only a small volume of 5 mL cord serum/ plasma is needed.…”

Section: Cord Blood Pollutant Levelsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Organochlorine and heavy metals in newborns: Results from the Flemish Environment and Health Survey (FLEHS 2002–2006)

Koppen

Hond

Nelen

et al. 2009

Environment International

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a b s t r a c t a r t i c l e i n f oTo collect regional information on internal levels of pollutants in humans in Flanders, 1196 mother-child pairs were systematically recruited in 2002-2003 via 25 maternities across Flanders. Cd, Pb, PCB congeners 118, 170, 138, 153 and 180, p,p′-DDE -a key metabolite of DDT-and hexachlorobenzene (HCB) were measured in cord blood or plasma. Cd was detected in 64% of the samples (geometric mean 0.21 µg/L cord blood). p,p′-DDE (110 ng/g plasma lipids) and Pb (14.7 µg/L blood), were measurable in nearly all samples. The individual PCB congeners could be detected in 40 to 81% of the newborns (138 + 153 + 180 = 64.4 ng/g plasma lipids). HCB (18.9 ng/g plasma lipids) and dioxin-like compounds measured by DR-CALUX® (23 pg CALUX-TEQ/g lipids) were above detection limit in more than 75% of the samples. Age and smoking habits of the mothers, did not influence the cord blood Pb and Cd levels. The organochlorines increased 4 to 9% per year of the mother's age (partial R 2 = 0.05 to 0.22). Mothers had 2.6% less PCBs in cord blood (partial R 2 = 0.02) for each unit increase in pre-pregnancy BMI. Season of delivery, breastfeeding previous children or consumption of local dairy products, were minor determinants. Up to 20% of the variability in organochlorine concentrations was explained by residence area. It was concluded that the place of birth in Flanders is an important determinant of the load of pollutants measured at the start of life. This underlines the validity of human biomonitoring on (relatively) small geographical scale.

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The Tohoku Study of Child Development: A Cohort Study of Effects of Perinatal Exposures to Methylmercury and Environmentally Persistent Organic Pollutants on Neurobehavioral Development in Japanese Children

Cited by 79 publications

References 33 publications

Prenatal Exposure to 3,3',4,4',5-Pentachlorobiphenyl (PCB126) Promotes Anxiogenic Behavior in Rats

Prenatal Exposure to 3,3',4,4',5-Pentachlorobiphenyl (PCB126) Promotes Anxiogenic Behavior in Rats

Psychomotor Ability in Children Prenatally Exposed to Methylmercury: The 18-Month Follow-Up of Tohoku Study of Child Development

Organochlorine and heavy metals in newborns: Results from the Flemish Environment and Health Survey (FLEHS 2002–2006)

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