Acute and subchronic effects of lead on the central and peripheral nervous systems in rats in combination with alcohol.
Humans are exposed, either simultaneously or sequentially, to various chemicals, including the neurotoxicants lead and ethanol. The aim of the present work was to investigate the changes in the spontaneous cortical activity (electrocorticogram; ECoG) and in the stimulus-dependent evoked potentials (EPs) recorded from rats pre-treated with alcohol and treated with lead acutely (intraperitoneally) or subchronically (by gavage). The measured parameters were spectral composition of the ECoG, amplitude and the latency of the stimulus-evoked cortical potential, as well as compound action potential amplitude, conduction velocity, and relative and absolute refractory period in a peripheral nerve. With subchronic lead and alcohol treatment, significant increase in the frequency of spontaneous activity and slight decrease in the EP amplitude were seen. In acute administration, EP amplitude increased and conduction velocity of the tail nerve decreased significantly. Our results showed that, in a combined exposure situation which is likely to happen also in humans, the known effects of neurotoxic heavy metals can be more severe.
Pecze
László
L
Department of Public Health, University of Szeged, Dom ter 10, H-6720 Szeged, Hungary.
Papp
András
A
Institoris
László
L
Szabó
Andrea
A
Nagymajtényi
László
L
D000284:Administration, Oral; D000818:Animals; D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants / Q000633:toxicity*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000633:toxicity*; D000431:Ethanol / Q000633:toxicity*; D005071:Evoked Potentials / Q000187:drug effects; D007274:Injections, Intraperitoneal; D008297:Male; D009431:Neural Conduction / Q000187:drug effects; D009942:Organometallic Compounds / Q000633:toxicity*; D010525:Peripheral Nerves / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000503:physiopathology; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013003:Somatosensory Cortex / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000503:physiopathology; D013623:Tail / Q000294:innervation; D018675:Toxicity Tests
D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants; D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; D000431:Ethanol; C008261:lead acetate