The developing cholinergic system as target for environmental toxicants, nicotine and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs): implications for neurotoxicological processes in mice.

During neonatal life, offspring can be affected by toxic agents either by transfer via mother's milk or by direct exposure. In many mammalian species the perinatal period is characterized by a rapid development of the brain - "the brain growth spurt" (BGS). This period in the development of the mammalian brain is associated with numerous biochemical changes that transform the feto-neonatal brain into that of the mature adult. In rodents, the cholinergic transmitter system undergoes a rapid development during the neonatal period, a time when spontaneous motor behaviour also reaches peak activity. We have observed that low-dose exposure to environmental toxicants such as nicotine, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polybrominated diphenylethers (PBDE, flame retardants) during the "BGS" can lead to irreversible changes in adult brain function in the mouse. The induction of persistent effects on behaviour and cholinergic nicotinic receptors in the adult animal appears to be limited to a short period during neonatal development. Furthermore, the neurotoxic effects were shown to develop over time, indicating a time-response/time-dependent effect. This indicates that environmental toxicants, such as nicotine, PCBs and probably PBDEs, might be involved in the slow, implacable induction of neurodegenerative disorders and/or interfere with normal aging processes.