[Impact of low-level lead exposure on neural cell adhesion molecule expression of primarily cultured hippocampal neurons].
OBJECTIVE
To study the impact of low-level lead exposure on neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM) expression of primarily cultured hippocampal neurons.


METHODS
Wistar rats gestated at 18th day were anaesthetized and paunched to get the pups, the hippocampi of the pups were separated and the hippocampal neurons were primarily cultured. After co-cultivated with different dosage of PbCl(2), the NCAM expression of the neurons were tested with Western blotting at different culture time.


RESULTS
Normally, the expression of NCAM at the 1st culture day was very low and its integral obsorbency density was 14; the climax expression time of NCAM of the cultured hippocampal neurons was 3rd to 5th cultured day, and their integral obsorbency density were 2 542 to 2 580; henceforth, the NCAM expression declined. NCAM expression was inhibited significantly by lead during the 2nd to 4th cultured day, and dose-response relationship was observed. The inhibition of lead weakened along with the cultured time prolonged, at 5th cultured day, it disappeared, and the NCAM expression of 10(-2), 10(-3) and 10(-4) mmol/L groups even exceeded the control groups. After that, the expression of NCAM in all groups began to decline, and the dose-response relationship of lead to the NCAM expression was observed again.


CONCLUSIONS
Low-level lead might significantly inhibit the NCAM expression of the primarily cultured Wistar rats' hippocampal neurons, and might delay the climax NCAM expression time.
Hu
Qian-sheng
QS
Department of Environmental Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China.
Ren
Tie-ling
TL
Fu
Hong-jun
HJ
Dong
Sheng-zhang
SZ
Chen
Xue-min
XM
D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D002469:Cell Separation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D007854:Lead / Q000633:toxicity*; D019006:Neural Cell Adhesion Molecules / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology; D011247:Pregnancy; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
D019006:Neural Cell Adhesion Molecules; D007854:Lead