Influence of subtoxic doses of fenitrothion on memory processes, movement activity, and movement coordination in mice exposed to transient oligaemic brain hypoxia

The aim of the study was to find out if subtoxic doses of fenitrothion (0.1 LD₅₀, LD₅₀ =166.6 mg/kg) administered to mice exposed to transient oligaemic brain hypoxia induced by bilateral clamping of the carotid arteries (BCCA) influence memory processes, movement activity, and coordination. The BCCA was carried out under ketamine + xylazine anaesthesia. Common carotid arteries were clamped for 30 min. Twenty-four hours later; the animals were injected intraperitoneally with 0.1 LD₅₀ of fenitrothion. Controls and sham-operated animals (with carotids separated but not clamped) were injected with respective volumes of bidistilled water. All the animals were trained in passive avoidance (PA) task. The examination of memory retention in PA was done 24 h later followed by testing of fresh spatial memory in a Y- maze, movement co-ordination, and spontaneous movement activity in a 30-min period. Fenitrothion did not significantly alter memory processes in the examined mice. However, the movement coordination was significantly impaired in animals that underwent BCCA alone as well as being oligaemic and under the influence of fenitrothion vs control groups. The same groups demonstrated significantly impaired spontaneous movement activity vs controls.