Effects of environmental chemicals on synapse formation and gene expression using primary brain culture.

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The neonicotinoids belong to a new, widely used class of pesticide. With similar chemical structures to nicotine, neonicotinoids also share agonist activity at nicotinic acetylcholine receptors(nAChRs). Although their toxicities against insects are well established, their precise effects on mammalian nAChRs remain to be elucidated. Because of the importance of nAChRs for mammalian brain function, especially brain development, detailed investigation of the neonicotinoids is needed to protect the health of human children. Our study shows that neonicotinoids and nicotine exert similar excitatory effects on mammalian nAChRs of cultured cerebellar neurons from neonatal rats at concentrations greater than 1μM. Using this in vitro model system, it is proposed that the neonicotinoids adversely influences human health, especially the brain of children.