Effects of maternal lead exposure on central nervous system maturation in postnatal rats
Pups from female rats exposed to 40-to-80 mg of lead per liter in their drinking water (low-lead group) and 160-to-320 mg of lead per liter water (high-lead group) were examined at 1 to 18 days of age. Maximal electroshock seizure (MES) patterns were determined and, upon recovery, whole blood, plasma, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and cerebral cortex samples were collected. Approximately one-half of the pups was used to determine the cerebral cortical extracellular water space (ECS). The other half was used to determine whole blood lead concentrations, plasma electrolytes (Na/sup +/, K/sup +/ and Cl/sup -/), CSF electrolytes, and cerebral cortical lead content, electrolytes, total water spaces, protein content, DNA content, carbonic anhydrase (CA) activity, and sodium- potassium-activated adenosinetriphosphatase (Na/sup +//K/sup +/-ATPase) activity. Neither the low- nor the high-lead groups had significant changes in body weight, body length, hematocrit or cerebral wet weight at any age studied. Whole blood and cerebral cortical lead contents were increased, dose-dependently, at each day of age. Hyperexcitability as measured by MES was observed in lead-exposed pups at 6, 9 and 12 days of age. These observations demonstrate that prenatal and postnatal exposure to lead causes increased susceptibility to MES and alterations in normal developmental patterns of the cerebral cortex. Such alterations appear to result from the greater vulnerability of the glial population to the adverse effects of lead than are neutrons. Thus, effects on the glia can account for the electrolyte imbalances, cellular edema and hyperexcitability resulting from exposure to lead.
- OSTI ID:
- 6266035
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: Thesis (Ph.D.)
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM
INJURIES
LEAD
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
BEHAVIOR
PRENATAL EXPOSURE
RATS
ANIMALS
ELEMENTS
MAMMALS
METALS
NERVOUS SYSTEM
RODENTS
VERTEBRATES
560305* - Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology- Vertebrates- (-1987)