[Toxicity to neural cell development of lead and its relation to glutathione].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the toxicity of lead to embryonic neural cell development and its relation to glutathione level.


METHODS
Rat midbrain micromass culture method was used to observe effects of lead on viability, differentiation and glutathione (GSH) content of embryonic neural cells.


RESULTS
Lead concentrations at 3.69 micromol/L and 1.03 micromol/L could inhibit neural cell variability and differentiation by 50%, respectively, both in a significant dose-response pattern. Lead also could cause increase level of glutathione. N-acetylcysteine (NAC), an antioxidant, could not only reduce adverse effect of lead on GSH, but also antagonize its toxicity to cell survival and differentiation.


CONCLUSIONS
Lead can specifically inhibit neural cell differentiation and its neurotoxic effects on brain cell development correlated to imbalance in redox status which is mainly mediated by decrease of GSH content.
Li
H
H
Department of Maternal and Child Health, Beijing Medical University, Beijing 100083, China.
Fu
S
S
D000111:Acetylcysteine / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian; D005260:Female; D005978:Glutathione / Q000378:metabolism*; D007854:Lead / Q000633:toxicity*; D008636:Mesencephalon / Q000166:cytology* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects; D011247:Pregnancy; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
D000975:Antioxidants; D007854:Lead; D005978:Glutathione; D000111:Acetylcysteine