Environmental exposure to common pesticide induces synaptic deficit and social memory impairment driven by neurodevelopmental vulnerability of hippocampal parvalbumin interneurons.

ABSTRACT: Environmental exposure to pesticides at levels deemed safe by regulatory agencies has been linked to increased risk for neurodevelopmental disorders. Yet, the mechanisms linking exposure to these disorders remain unclear. Here, we show that maternal exposure to the pesticide deltamethrin (DM) at the no observed adverse effect level (NOAEL) disrupts long-term potentiation (LTP) in the hippocampus of adult male offspring three months after exposure, a phenotype absent in female offspring. Clonazepam, a GABAa receptor agonist, rescued this deficit, indicating impaired hippocampal GABAergic signaling. Recordings from CA1 pyramidal neurons, complemented by MALDI mass spectrometry imaging, showed an imbalance in excitatory/inhibitory tone. Using a combination of parvalbumin (PV)-Cre transgenic m

SUBMITTER: Di Re J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11970102 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature