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International audience; The developing brain is more susceptible to neurotoxic compounds than adult brain. It is also well known that disturbances during brain development cause neurological disorders in adulthood. The brain is known to be a target organ of uranium (U) exposure and previous studies have noted that internal U contamination of adult rats induces behavioral disorders as well as affects neurochemistry and neurophysiological properties. In this study, we investigated whether depleted uranium (DU) exposure affects neurogenesis during prenatal and postnatal brain development. We examined the structural morphology of the brain, cell death and finally cell proliferation in animals exposed to DU during gestation and lactation compared to control animals. Our results showed that DU decreases cell death in the cortical neuroepithelium of gestational day (GD) 13 embryos exposed at 40. mg/L and 120. mg/L and of GD18 fetuses exposed at 120. mg/L without modification of the number of apoptotic cells. Cell proliferation analysis showed an increase of BrdU labeling in the dentate neuroepithelium of fetuses from GD18 at 120. mg/L. Postnatally, cell death is increased in the dentate gyrus of postnatal day (PND) 0 and PND5 exposed pups at 120. mg/L and is associated with an increase of apoptotic cell number only at PND5. Finally, a decrease in dividing cells is observed in the dentate gyrus of PND21 rats developmentally exposed to 120. mg/L DU, but not at PND0 and PND5. These results show that DU exposure during brain development causes opposite effects on cell proliferation and cell death processes between prenatal and postnatal development mainly at the highest dose. Although these modifications do not have a major impact in brain morphology, they could affect the next steps of neurogenesis and thus might disrupt the fine organization of the neuronal network.

In view of the known sensitivity of the developing central nervous system to pollutants, we sought to assess the effects of exposure to uranium (U) — a heavy metal naturally present in the environment — on the behavior of young rats and the impact of oxidative stress on their hippocampus. Pups drank U (in the form of uranyl nitrate) at doses of 10 or 40 mg.L-1 for 10 weeks from birth. Control rats drank mineral water. Locomotor activity in an open field and practice effects on a rotarod device decreased in rats exposed to 10 mg.L-1 (respectively, -19.4% and -51.4%) or 40 mg.L-1 (respectively, -19.3% and -55.9%) in compared with control rats. Anxiety (+37%) and depressive-like behavior (-50.8%) were altered by U exposure only at 40 mg.L-1. Lipid peroxidation (+35%) and protein carbonyl concentration (+137%) increased significantly after exposure to U at 40 mg.L-1. A significant increase in superoxide dismutase (SOD, +122.5%) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx, +13.6%) activities was also observed in the hippocampus of rats exposed to 40 mg.L-1. These results demonstrate that exposure to U since birth alters some behaviors and modifies antioxidant status. © 2015, Japanese Society of Toxicology. All rights reserved.

International audience; The central nervous system (CNS) is known to be sensitive to pollutants during its development. Uranium (U) is a heavy metal that occurs naturally in the environment as a component of the earth's crust, and populations may therefore be chronically exposed to U through drinking water and food. Previous studies have shown that the CNS is a target of U in rats exposed in adulthood. We assessed the effects of U on behavior and cholinergic system of rats exposed from birth for 10 weeks at 10 mg.L⁻¹ or 40 mg.L⁻¹. For behavioral analysis, the sleep/wake cycle (recorded by telemetry), the object recognition memory and the spatial working memory (Y-maze) were evaluated. Acetylcholine (ACh) and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) levels were evaluated in the entorhinal cortex and hippocampus. At 40 mg.L⁻¹, U exposure impaired object recognition memory (-20%), but neither spatial working memory nor the sleep/wake cycle was impaired. A significant decrease was observed in both the ACh concentration (-14%) and AChE activity (-14%) in the entorhinal cortex, but not in the hippocampus. Any significant effect on behaviour and cholinergic system was observed at 10 mg U.L⁻¹. These results demonstrate that early exposure to U during postnatal life induces a structure cerebral-dependant cholinergic response and modifies such memory process in rats. This exposure to U early in life could have potential delayed effects in adulthood.

International audience; Strontium 90 (90Sr) remains in the environment long after a major nuclear disaster occurs. As a result, populations living on contaminated land are potentially exposed to daily ingesting of low quantities of 90Sr. The potential long-term health effects of such chronic contamination are unknown. In this study, we used a mouse model to evaluate the effects of 90Sr ingestion on the immune system, the animals were chronically exposed to 90Sr in drinking water at a concentration of 20 kBq/l, for a daily ingestion of 80-100 Bq/day. This resulted in a reduced number of CD19+ B lymphocytes in the bone marrow and spleen in steady-state conditions. In contrast, the results from a vaccine experiment performed as a functional test of the immune system showed that in response to T-dependent antigens, there was a reduction in IgG specific to tetanus toxin (TT), a balanced Th1/Th2 response inducer antigen, but not to keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH), a strong Th2 response inducer antigen. This was accompanied by a reduction in Th1 cells in the spleen, consistent with the observed reduction in specific IgG concentration. The precise mechanisms by which 90Sr acts on the immune system remain to be elucidated. However, our results suggest that 90Sr ingestion may be responsible for some of the reported effects of internal contamination on the immune system in civilian populations exposed to the Chernobyl fallout. © 2016 by Radiation Research Society.

Introduction Data are sparse about the potential health risks of chronic low-dose contamination of humans by uranium (natural or anthropogenic) in drinking water. Previous studies report some molecular imbalances but no clinical signs due to uranium intake. Objectives In a proof-of-principle study, we reported that metabolomics is an appropriate method for addressing this chronic low-dose exposure in a rat model (uranium dose: 40 mg L−1; duration: 9 months, n = 10). In the present study, our aim was to investigate the dose–effect pattern and identify additional potential biomarkers in urine samples. Methods Compared to our previous protocol, we doubled the number of rats per group (n = 20), added additional sampling time points (3 and 6 months) and included several lower doses of natural uranium (doses used: 40, 1.5, 0.15 and 0.015 mg L−1). LC–MS metabolomics was performed on urine samples and statistical analyses were made with SIMCA-P+ and R packages. Results The data confirmed our previous results and showed that discrimination was both dose and time related. Uranium exposure was revealed in rats contaminated for 9 months at a dose as low as 0.15 mg L−1. Eleven features, including the confidently identified N1-methylnicotinamide, N1-methyl-2-pyridone-5-carboxamide and 4-hydroxyphenylacetylglycine, discriminated control from contaminated rats with a specificity and a sensitivity ranging from 83 to 96 %, when combined into a composite score. Conclusion These findings show promise for the elucidation of underlying radiotoxicologic mechanisms and the design of a diagnostic test to assess exposure in urine, in a dose range experimentally estimated to be above a threshold between 0.015 and 0.15 mg L−1. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s11306-016-1092-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

International audience; Enzymes that metabolize xenobiotics (XME) are well recognized in experimental models as representative indicators of organ detoxification functions and of exposure to toxicants. As several in vivo studies have shown, uranium can alter XME in the rat liver or kidneys after either acute or chronic exposure. To determine how length or level of exposure affects these changes in XME, we continued our investigation of chronic rat exposure to depleted uranium (DU, uranyl nitrate). The first study examined the effect of duration (1-18 months) of chronic exposure to DU, the second evaluated dose dependence, from a level close to that found in the environment near mining sites (0.2 mg/L) to a supra-environmental dose (120 mg/L, 10 times the highest level naturally found in the environment), and the third was an in vitro assessment of whether DU exposure directly affects XME and, in particular, CYP3A. The experimental in vivo models used here demonstrated that CYP3A is the enzyme modified to the greatest extent high gene expression changed after 6 and 9 months. The most substantial effects were observed in the liver of rats after 9 months of exposure to 120 mg/L of DU CYP3A gene and protein expression and enzyme activity all decreased by more than 40 %. Nonetheless, no direct effect of DU by itself was observed after in vitro exposure of rat microsomal preparations, HepG2 cells, or human primary hepatocytes. Overall, these results probably indicate the occurrence of regulatory or adaptive mechanisms that could explain the indirect effect observed in vivo after chronic exposure. © 2013 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.

Uranium level in drinking water is usually in the range of microgram-per-liter, but this value may be as much as 100 to 1000 times higher in some areas, which may raise question about the health consequences for human populations living in these areas. Our purpose was to improve knowledge of chemical effects of uranium following chronic ingestion. Experiments were performed on rats contaminated for 9 months via drinking water containing depleted uranium (0.2, 2, 5, 10, 20, 40, or 120 mg/L). Blood biochemical and hematological indicators were measured and several different types of investigations (molecular, functional, and structural) were conducted in organs (intestine, liver, kidneys, hematopoietic cells, and brain). The specific sensitivity of the organs to uranium was deduced from nondeleterious biological effects, with the following thresholds (in mg/L): 0.2 for brain, >2 for liver, >10 for kidneys, and >20 for intestine, indicating a NOAEL (No-Observed-Adverse-Effect Level) threshold for uranium superior to 120 m g/L. Based on the chemical uranium toxicity, the tolerable daily intake calculation yields a guideline value for humans of 1350 μg/L. This value was higher than the WHO value of 30 μg/L, indicating that this WHO guideline for uranium content in drinking water is very protective and might be reconsidered.

International audience; Alzheimer's disease is associated with genetic risk factors, of which the apolipoprotein E (ApoE) is the most prevalent, and is affected by environmental factors that include education early in life and exposure to metals. The industrial and military use of depleted uranium (DU) resulted in an increase of its deposition in some areas and led to a possible environmental factor. The present study aims to ascertain the effects on the behaviour and the metabolism of cholesterol and acetylcholine of ApoE-/- mice exposed to enriched environment (EE) and exposed to DU (20 mg/L) for 14 weeks. Here we show that ApoE-/- mice were unaffected by the EE and their learning and memory were similar to those of the non-enriched ApoE-/- mice. ApoE-/- mice showed a significant decrease in total (-16 %) and free (-16 %) cholesterol in the entorhinal cortex in comparison to control wild-type mice. Whatever the housing conditions, the exposure to DU of ApoE-/- mice impaired working memory, but had no effect on anxiety-like behaviour, in comparison to control ApoE-/- mice. The exposure of ApoE-/- mice to DU also induced a trend toward higher total cholesterol content in the cerebral cortex (+15 %) compared to control ApoE-/- mice. In conclusion, these results demonstrate that enriched environment does not ameliorate neurobehaviour in ApoE-/- mice and that ApoE mutation induced specific effects on the brain cholesterol. These findings also suggested that DU exposure could modify the pathology in this ApoE model, with no influence of housing conditions. © 2013 Springer Science+Business Media.

Because uranium is a natural element present in the earth’s crust, the population may be chronically exposed to low doses of it through drinking water. Additionally, the military and civil uses of uranium can also lead to environmental dispersion that can result in high or low doses of acute or chronic exposure. Recent experimental data suggest this might lead to relatively innocuous biological reactions. The aim of this study was to assess the biological changes in rats caused by ingestion of natural uranium in drinking water with a mean daily intake of 2.7 mg/kg for 9 months and to identify potential biomarkers related to such a contamination. Subsequently, we observed no pathology and standard clinical tests were unable to distinguish between treated and untreated animals. Conversely, LC–MS metabolomics identified urine as an appropriate biofluid for discriminating the experimental groups. Of the 1,376 features detected in urine, the most discriminant were metabolites involved in tryptophan, nicotinate, and nicotinamide metabolic pathways. In particular, N-methylnicotinamide, which was found at a level seven times higher in untreated than in contaminated rats, had the greatest discriminating power. These novel results establish a proof of principle for using metabolomics to address chronic low-dose uranium contamination. They open interesting perspectives for understanding the underlying biological mechanisms and designing a diagnostic test of exposure. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s11306-013-0544-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

International audience; Background Bone is the main site of uranium accumulation after long term contamination. Several studies describe that at high dose of exposure, uranium impairs bone growth. Nevertheless little is known about the effects of chronic exposure at low doses of this radionuclide on bone, especially when ingested via drinking water, which is considered as the main exposure pathway for the public. Methods In this study, male rats were exposed to natural uranium in drinking water for a 9 month period, either at 40 mg l- 1 starting just after birth (post-natal model) or starting at 3 months of age (adult model). Results In the post-natal model at 40 mg l- 1, three-dimensional microtomography analysis showed that NU decreased significantly the cortical bone diameter in NU-contaminated rats. Bone histomorphometry analysis also showed a significant increase of the osteoid thickness in trabecular bone of the femur of NU-contaminated rats. In addition, mRNA expression in trabecular bone of genes involved in osteoblast differentiation (OSX, BMP2, RUNX2), bone remodeling (TRAP, OCN), bone mineralization (BSP, OPN, DMP1), calcium transport (TRPV5) as well as vitamin D receptor (VDR) was significantly decreased in this model. In contrast, in the adult model, no morphometric, cellular and molecular changes were observed in bone. General significance This study showed for the first time that NU at this concentration has no detectable effect in adult bone while it significantly affects growing bone, which thus appears more sensitive to low dose contamination by this radionuclide. © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

International audience; Uranium is a heavy metal naturally present in the environment that may be chronically ingested by the population. Previous studies have shown that uranium is present in the brain and alters behaviour, notably locomotor activity, sensorimotor ability, sleep/wake cycle and the memory process, but also metabolism of neurotransmitters. The cholinergic system mediates many cognitive systems, including those disturbed after chronic exposure to uranium i.e., spatial memory, sleep/wake cycle and locomotor activity. The objective of this study was to assess whether these disorders follow uranium-induced alteration of the cholinergic system. In comparison with 40 control rats, 40 rats drank 40 mg/L uranyl nitrate for 1.5 or 9 months. Cortex and hippocampus were removed and gene expression and protein level were analysed to determine potential changes in cholinergic receptors and acetylcholine levels. The expression of genes showed various alterations in the two brain areas after short- and long-term exposure. Nevertheless, protein levels of the choline acetyltransferase enzyme (ChAT), the vesicular transporter of acetylcholine (VAChT) and the nicotinic receptor beta2 sub-unit (nAChRbeta2) were unmodified in all cases of the experiment and muscarinic receptor type 1 (m1AChR) protein level was disturbed only after 9 months of exposure in the cortex (-30%). Acetylcholine levels were unchanged in the hippocampus after 1.5 and 9 months, but were decreased in the cortex after 1.5 months only (-22%). Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity was also unchanged in the hippocampus but decreased in the cortex after 1.5 and 9 months (-16% and -18%, respectively). Taken together, these data indicate that the cholinergic system is a target of uranium exposure in a structure-dependent and time-dependent manner. These cholinergic alterations could participate in behavioural impairments.