Long-term consequences of developmental exposure to aluminum in a suboptimal diet for growth and behavior of Swiss Webster mice

Swiss Webster mice received diets containing 7 (control), 100, 500, or 1000 mug aluminum (Al)/g throughout development (conception to 35 days of age) and were tested behaviorally as adults (> 90 days of age). The basal diet contained the same percent of recommended dietary amounts of phosphate, calcium, iron, magnesium, and zinc as young women usually consume. These realistic dietary conditions led to 12 - 15% growth retardation in the Al 1000 group at the time of testing. Females were evaluated in a cognitive task (Morris water maze) at 3 months of age and males were evaluated in a motor test battery at 5 months of age. Al 1000 females (n = 16) were slower than controls in learning the Morris maze, as suggested by fewer mice with low latencies during the first three sessions of the four-session learning series. Influences of Al on cue utilization were also found in probe sessions eliminating salient or nonsalient cues. With motor testing, the Al 1000 males (n = 20) had significantly lower hindlimb grip strength than controls, an effect that was eliminated by covariance analysis with body weight. Subtle influences of Al on rotarod and wire suspension tests were also noted. The data suggest that developmental Al exposure under normal, but less than optimal, dietary conditions can lead to subtle but long-term effects on growth and brain function in adulthood. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.