Methyl Mercury Effects on Adolescent Development

描述（由申请人提供）：本申请是一个为期三年的竞争性补充项目#2-R01 ES008442-05题为“甲基汞对青少年发育的影响”，该项目正在塞舌尔测试低剂量甲基汞暴露将在青少年中出现不良神经发育后果的假设，表明潜在或延迟的甲基汞神经毒性。该补充将提供一个独特的机会来研究与MeHg暴露相关的争议性问题，这些问题未包括在原始拨款中（听觉功能的电生理测试，包括脑干听觉诱发电位和诱发耳声发射，以及心脏自主功能）。这些研究没有包括在最初的申请中，因为在提交RO1时没有足够的证据来证明它们的纳入。这些情况已经改变；需要补充资金来探讨这些问题。电生理终点将被添加到原始R01所遵循的方案中，该R01涉及主要研究队列（n=779），该队列自1989-1990年出生以来一直被持续跟踪。补充项目可能提供以前从未评估过的关于因食用鱼类而暴露于甲基汞的儿童人群的功能的重要信息。支持MHg对脑干听觉和心血管自主神经功能不利影响的许多证据来自对母亲在怀孕期间食用鲸肉和鲸脂的儿童的研究。鲸鱼体内含有大量的多氯联苯，这可能会导致明显的神经毒性。鱼类富含微量营养素，包括pufa，这与增强脑干听觉和心血管自主功能有关。这项拟议中的研究将检验这样一种假设，即如果母亲在怀孕期间食用大量鱼类，其孩子的脑干听觉和心血管自主功能的结果将与之前报道的食用鲸鱼人群的研究不同。这可能是在现已进入青春期晚期的塞舌尔儿童中进行这种评估的最后机会。公共卫生意义。怀孕期间食用鱼类可能会造成胎儿接触甲基汞的风险，也可能因其含有许多微量营养素而受益。这项研究将为公共卫生政策提供有关怀孕期间食用鱼类在心血管健康和认知信息处理方面的风险和益处平衡的信息。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This application is for a three-year competing supplement to Project #2-R01 ES008442-05 entitled Methyl Mercury Effects on Adolescent Development, underway in the Seychelles testing the hypothesis that adverse neurodevelopmental consequences of low-dose MeHg exposure will emerge in adolescence indicating latent or delayed MeHg neurotoxicity. This supplement will provide a unique opportunity to examine controversial issues related to MeHg exposure not included in the original grant (electrophysiological testing of auditory function, including brain stem auditory evoked potentials and evoked otoacoustic emissions, and cardiac autonomic function). These studies were not included in the original application because insufficient evidence existed at the time of the RO1 submission to justify their inclusion. Those circumstances have changed; supplemental funds are required to explore these issues. The electrophysiological endpoints will be added to the protocol being followed for the original R01 involving the Main Study cohort (n=779) which has been followed continuously since their births in 1989-1990. The supplemental project may provide crucial information about functions never before assessed in a population of children exposed to MeHg from fish consumption. Much of the evidence supporting adverse influences of MHg on brainstem auditory and cardiovascular autonomic functions is derived from studies of children whose mothers consumed whalemeat and whale blubber during pregnancy. Whales contain high levels of PCBs that could have caused the apparent neurotoxicity. Fish are high in micronutrients including PUFAs, which have been associated with enhanced brainstem auditory and cardiovascular autonomic functions. The proposed study will test the hypothesis that the brainstem auditory and cardiovascular autonomic outcomes in children whose mothers consumed a diet high in fish during pregnancy will be different than previous studies of whale-consuming populations have reported. This may be the last chance to conduct such assessments among the Seychellois children who are now reaching late adolescence. Public Health Significance. Fish consumption during pregnancy may pose a risk from fetal exposure to MeHg and a benefit stemming from its many micronutrients. This study will inform public health policy concerning the balance of risks and benefits of consuming fish during pregnancy with respect to cardiovascular health and cognitive information processing.