Integrating scRNA-seq to explore offspring neurodevelopmental toxicity induced by Cyfluthrin exposure during pregnancy: A fate decision for NSCs

Cyfluthrin is a widely used insecticide, and studies have shown that its exposure during pregnancy is associated with neurobehavioral abnormalities in offspring, but the mechanism of toxicity is unknown. In this study, we observed the neurodevelopmental toxicity of Cyfluthrin in rat offspring of different ages due to pregnancy exposure, which manifested a series of impairments such as persistent cognitive impairment, neuronal loss in hippocampal tissues, synaptic damage, and altered expression of neurodevelopmental-related factors. Hippocampal scRNA-seq in neonatal rats showed specific cellular responses to prenatal Cyfluthrin exposure. Through DEG intergroup difference analysis, intercellular communication analysis, and mimetic timing analysis, we found that the change in the fate of neural stem cells - alterations in differentiation direction, proliferation, and apoptosis levels - was the main cause of the offspring's developmental toxicity induced by prenatal Cyfluthrin exposure. This inference was verified by our in - vivo and ex - vivo experiments. Our study first constructed a single - cell atlas of the offspring's brain hippocampus exposed to Cyfluthrin during pregnancy. It warns about pesticide intake during pregnancy and nursing in women and provides a theoretical basis for neurodevelopmental toxicity from early - life exposure to environmental pollutants.