title: Effect of age-dependent exposure to lead on hepatotoxicity and nephrotoxicity in male rats.
abstract: Lead is known to induce a broad range of physiological, biochemical, and behavioral dysfunctions in laboratory animals and humans. This includes age-specific variations in absorption, retention, and tissue distribution of lead. This study was carried out to investigate the effects of chronic exposure to lead (50 mg/L) on liver and kidneys of two different age groups of male rats treated with lead from delivery until puberty period (40 days) and postpuberty period (65 days). For this purpose, the concentrations of thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS), total thiol groups (SH), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity were measured in the liver and kidney of rats. Renal function was analyzed by determining creatinine, acid uric, and urea. Plasma activities of alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, and albumin were determined spectrophotometrically to evaluate hepatic function. These markers of damage were determined to assess the level of toxicity in these animals. Our results clearly show that the administration of lead produces oxidative damage in liver and kidney, as strongly suggested by the significant increase in TBARS, decrease in total SH, and the alteration of SOD activity. In young lead-exposed animals, lead-induced perturbations on the synthetic function of the liver and the kidney were more pronounced. However, nephropathy is evident for adult lead-exposed animals. It is concluded that lead induces severe hepatic and renal toxicity, which depends on the age of the animals and the target organ.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de la Physiologie des Agressions, Effets Métaboliques et Endocriniens, Département de Biologie, Faculté des Sciences de Tunis, Université El-Manar, 1060 Tunis, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Alya Annabi
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Berrahal
authors.forename: Montassar
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lasram
authors.forename: Naziha
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: El Elj
authors.forename: Abdelhamid
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kerkeni
authors.forename: Najoua
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gharbi
authors.forename: Saloua
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: El-Fazâa
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000633:toxicity*; D005260:Female; D007668:Kidney / Q000187:drug effects*; D007854:Lead / Q000633:toxicity*; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D011627:Puberty / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000378:metabolism; D017392:Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D017392:Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances; D007854:Lead; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase