Selective effect of chronic lead ingestion. III: Effect on dopamine beta-hydroxylase activity in brain regions of rats.
Selectivity of lead effect on dopamine beta-hydroxylase activity in regions of brai nfrom rats postnatally exposed to lead was tested. Three groups of animals were prepared; (1) Rats exposed to lead at a low dose (0.05% PbAcetate: PbAc); (2) Rats exposed to lead at a high dose (0.2% PbAc); (3) Age-matched normal control rats. At 2, 4, 6 and 8 weeks of age weight of whole brain and body in each group were measured. At the same ages activities of dopamine beta-hydroxylase and Na+K(+)-ATPase were measured in 5 brain regions of each animal. Exposure of rats to lead generally decreased Na+/K(+)-ATPase activity and showed alternative changes of dopamine beta-hydroxylase activity were detected without concomitant changes of Na+/K(+)-ATPase activity were telencephalon and pons/medulla at 2 weeks of age and telencephalon, diencephalon and pons/medulla at 4 weeks of age and midbrain and pons/medulla at 6 weeks of age and cerebellum at 8 weeks of age in rats exposed to lead at a low dose, and those in rats exposed to lead at a high dose were midbrain at 6 weeks of age and cerebellum at 8 weeks of age. These data imply that noradrenergic nervous system in the brain regions described above could selectively be affected by lead.
National Institute of Safety Research, Seoul, Korea.
K
K
Chin
S K
SK
Song
J H
JH
Cheong
K H
KH
Ko
Y
Y
Kuroiwa
D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology; D004299:Dopamine beta-Hydroxylase / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D007854:Lead / Q000633:toxicity*; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D000254:Sodium-Potassium-Exchanging ATPase / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism
D007854:Lead; D004299:Dopamine beta-Hydroxylase; D000254:Sodium-Potassium-Exchanging ATPase