Effects of 28-day nose-only inhalation of PCB52 (2,2',5,5'-Tetrachlorobiphenyl) on the brain transcriptome

Banned from mass production, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) still pose a neurological health threat decades later. PCB52, a volatile compound, has been found in the indoor air of schools where adolescent students and staff are exposed. The adolescent brain is vulnerable and highly influenced by the environment around it. This study used adolescent Sprague-Dawley rats to determine the neurological effects of a subacute (28-day) PCB52 inhalation exposure. Rats were exposed 4 h a day for 28 consecutive days with neurobehavioral tests conducted during the last 5 days of exposure. Based on the data including brain weights, PCB52 and metabolite levels, gene expression in the striatum and cerebellum, and neurobehavioral tests (Y-maze, HBT, OFT, and EPM); a subacute inhalation of PCB52 results in sex-specific differences in response to exposure. Our results indicate multilevel PCB52 influence that is different in adolescent males and females; from gene expression to downstream innate mechanisms driving behavior. Overall design: To determine the gene expression alterations following PCB52 inhalation exposure in adolescent rats, male and female striatum and cerebellar regions were processed for RNA sequencing. (N = 6 per sex)