Effects of prenatal aluminum exposure on neuromotor maturation in the rat.

The oral treatment of pregnant rats with AlCl3 was realized from 8th day of gestation to parturition to determine its influence on the neuromotor development of the young rats with a bank of assessment tests. As the quality of the maternal care has an influence on young rat development, the maternal behavior had also been quantified with different parameters. The results indicated that aluminum, at the two doses (160 and 200 mg/kg), had no effect on food intake, the weight of females and their maternal behavior. On the other hand, pre-weaning mortality was significantly increased in the treated dams' young. Surviving pups showed a delay in their neuromotor development as well as a weight delay during the first postnatal week. Different explicative hypotheses have been considered.