Developmental Exposure to a Commercial PBDE Mixture: Effects on Protein Networks in the Cerebellum and Hippocampus of Rats

Background: Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are structurally similar to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and have both central (learning and memory deficits) and peripheral (motor dysfunction) neurotoxic effects at concentrations/doses similar to those of PCBs. The cellular and molecular mechanisms for these neurotoxic effects are not fully understood; however, several studies have shown that PBDEs affect thyroid hormones, cause oxidative stress, and disrupt Ca2+-mediated signal transduction. Changes in these signal transduction pathways can lead to differential gene regulation with subsequent changes in protein expression, which can affect the development and function of the nervous system.Objective: In this study, we examined the protein expression profiles in the rat cerebellum and hippocampus following developmental exposure to a commercial PBDE mixture, DE-71.Methods: Pregnant Long-Evans rats were dosed perinatally with 0 or 30.6 mg/kg/day of DE-71 from gestation day 6 through sampling on post...