Lead and osteoporosis: Mobilization of lead from bone in postmenopausal women

Journal Article · Sat Oct 01 00:00:00 EDT 1988 · Environmental Research; (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/S0013-9351(88)80023-9· OSTI ID:5098698

Silbergeld, E K ^[1]; Schwartz, J ^[2]; Mahaffey, K ^[3]

---

1. Environmental Defense Fund, WA (USA)
2. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC (USA)
3. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, NC (USA)

Although it has been known that humans accumulate lead in bone, mineralized tissue has been considered primarily as a sequestering compartment and not as a site of toxic action for lead. However, experimental data indicate that bone lead can be released during conditions of demineralization, such as pregnancy and lactation. We have examined lead status in women, before and after menopause, using the NHANES II dataset compiled between 1976 and 1980. In 2981 black and white women there was a highly significant increase in both whole blood and calculated plasma lead concentrations after menopause. The results indicate that bone lead is not an inert storage site for absorbed lead. Moreover, lead may interact with other factors in the course of postmenopausal osteoporosis, to aggravate the course of the disease, since lead is known to inhibit activation of vitamin D, uptake of dietary calcium, and several regulatory aspects of bone cell function. The consequences of this mobilization may also be of importance in assessing the risks of maternal lead exposure to fetal and infant health.

• OSTI ID: 5098698
• Journal Information: Environmental Research; (USA), Vol. 47:1; ISSN 0013-9351
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
LEAD
HEALTH HAZARDS
OSTEOPOROSIS
ETIOLOGY
AGE DEPENDENCE
AGE GROUPS
BIOLOGICAL ACCUMULATION
BIOLOGICAL FUNCTIONS
BLOOD
BONE CELLS
CALCIUM
MENOPAUSE
SKELETON
TISSUE DISTRIBUTION
VITAMIN D
WOMEN
ALKALINE EARTH METALS
ANIMAL CELLS
ANIMALS
BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS
BODY
BODY FLUIDS
CONNECTIVE TISSUE CELLS
DISEASES
DISTRIBUTION
ELEMENTS
FEMALES
FUNCTIONS
HAZARDS
MAMMALS
MAN
MATERIALS
METALS
ORGANS
PRIMATES
SKELETAL DISEASES
SOMATIC CELLS
VERTEBRATES
VITAMINS
560300* - Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology