Parental Exposure to Tannery Effluent Cause Anxiety-and Depression-Like Behaviors in Mice Offspring

Few studies have assessed the effects of tannery effluents intake in mammalian animal models, despite the discharge of tannery effluents into water bodies without treatment are environmental and public health problems in many countries. This study therefore aimed to evaluate the effects of the mice parental generation exposure to tannery effluent on the anxiety and depression behaviors in its offspring, based in previous findings that demonstrate central nervous system damage in adult mice exposed to xenobiotic. For this, adult mice C57BL/6J were exposed for 60 days to the experimental treatments: tannery effluent diluted in water at concentrations of 7.5%, 15% or only drinking water (control group). Male and female mice were put for mating and the pregnant females continued exposure to effluent in the treatment groups, until lactation period. After weaning the offspring were submitted to behavioral tests, elevated plus-maze test (predictive of anxiety) and forced swim test (predictive of depression). Our date demonstrated the tannery effluent effects the offspring, increasing their anxiety index, decreasing the time in open-arms ratio and the frequency of open-arms entries, indicating an increase in anxiety-like behavior. Regarding forced swim test, we observed increased time in immobility in the experimental groups, indicating depression-like behavior. Thus, our findings support the hypothesis that parental exposure to tannery effluents, containing neurotoxic substances, cause anxiety-and depression-like behavior in the offspring.