Effects of oral domoic acid exposure on maternal reproduction and infant birth characteristics in a preclinical nonhuman primate model

Publication date: Available online 5 January 2019Source: Neurotoxicology and TeratologyAuthor(s): Thomas M. Burbacher, Kimberly S. Grant, Rebekah Petroff, Sara Shum, Brenda Crouthamel, Courtney Stanley, Noelle McKain, Jing Jing, Nina IsoherranenAbstractDomoic Acid (DA) is a naturally-occurring excitotoxin, produced by marine algae, which can bioaccumulate in shellfish and finfish. The consumption of seafood contaminated with DA is associated with gastrointestinal illness that, in the case of high DA exposure, can evolve into a spectrum of responses ranging from agitation to hallucinations, memory loss, seizures and coma. Because algal blooms that produce DA are becoming more widespread and very little is known about the dangers of chronic, low-dose exposure, we initiated a preclinical study focused on the reproductive and developmental effects of DA in a nonhuman primate model. To this end, 32 adult female Macaca fascicularis monkeys were orally exposed to 0, 0.075 or 0.15 mg/kg/day DA on a daily basis, prior to and during pregnancy. Females were bred to non-exposed males and infants were evaluated at birth. Results from this study provided no evidence of changes in DA plasma concentrations with chronic exposure. DA exposure was not associated with reproductive toxicity or adverse changes in the physical characteristics of newborns. However, in an unanticipated finding, our clinical observations revealed the presence of subtle neurological effects in the form of intentional...
Source: Neurotoxicology and Teratology - Category: Toxicology Source Type: research