| Studies have implicated polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and methylmercury (MeHg), persistent environmental contaminants, in causing neurobehavioral deficits observed in young animals exposed developmentally. The objective of this study was to develop behavioral tests for neonatal and prepubertal mink to assess developmental neurotoxicity of environmental contaminants. Adult female mink were fed diets that contained 0.5 ppm PCBs or 0.5 ppm MeHg and were mated to untreated males. The kits were assessed for righting ability, tail-pinch response, eye-opening age, forelimb grip strength, open-field activity, gait measurements, learning ability, and stereotypic behavior. No significant differences were found between treated kits and control kits for any test. The data suggested that the neurological development of the kits exposed to PCBs was delayed and the development of those exposed to MeHg was accelerated. Modifications in these tests should improve their sensitivity to detect behavioral deficits in mink. |
