In pregnancy, there is a significant risk for developing embryos to be adversely affected by everyday chemicals such as food additives and environmental toxins. In recent times, several studies have documented the detrimental effect of exposure to such chemicals on the behavior and neurodevelopment of the offspring. This study evaluated the influence of the food additive, monosodium glutamate (MSG), on behavior and development in mice. Pregnant dams were exposed to MSG 2 g/kg or 4 g/kg or distilled water from gestation day 10-20. On delivery, postnatal day 1 (PN 1), 3 pups were sacrificed and whole brain samples assayed for KCC2 expression by western blot. The remaining pups were housed until PN 43 before commencing behavioural assessment. Their weights were measured at birth and at 3 days intervals until PN 42. The impact of prenatal exposure to MSG on baseline exploratory, anxiety and depression behaviours as well as spatial and working memory was assessed. In utero exposure to 4 g/kg MSG significantly reduced exploratory drive and increased depression-like behaviours but did not exert any significant impact on anxiety-like behaviours (p<0.01). Additionally, there was a two-fold increase in KCC2 expression in both 2 g/kg and 4 g/kg MSG-exposed offspring.

This study indicates that, in utero exposure to MSG increases the expression of KCC2 and causes significant effect on locomotion and depression-like behaviours but only marginally affects memory function.