title: Neurotoxic effect of lead on rats: Relationship to Apoptosis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Lead toxicity has been subjected to intensive research work, but some aspects of its mechanism needs to be elucidated.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  In the current study we aim to investigate the impact of lead toxicity on some different intermediates of apoptotic signaling pathway in experimental rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  We measured caspase-8 and caspase-9 [by chemilumenescence], Bax and Bcl-2 [by ELISA] in Experimental rats, injected intraperitoneally with lead acetate for 7days at the dosage of 25, 50 and l00 mg/kg body weight and compared to control rats injected with deionized distilled water instead. instead.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Lead acetate significantly increased the levels of caspase 8, caspase 9 and Bax in liver, kidney and brain of experimental animals especially those with high doses. Meanwhile, caspase 8 and Bax significantly increased in brain tissue at low dose of lead, while Bcl-2 significantly increased only with advanced toxicity. Furthermore, Bax/bcl2 ratio was significantly high in kidney (p<0.05), liver (p<0.01) and brain (p<0.01) at higher doses of lead toxicity. However, brain tissues showed significant Bax/Bcl2 ratio (p<0.05) at low lead dose. A significant positive correlation was noticed between the blood level of lead and enzymatic level of caspase 8, caspase 9 and Bax in different tissues.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  : we concluded that lead might have toxic effect through intrinsic and extrinsic induction of apoptotic pathway with prominent effect on brain tissue even at low dose.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Qassim University, KSA.
authors.forename: Manal Basyouni
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Ahmed
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Qassim University, KSA.
authors.forename: Maha Imam
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Ahmed
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Qassim University, KSA.
authors.forename: Abd-Rheem
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Meki
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University Cairo, Egypt.
authors.forename: Naglaa
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Abdraboh
keywords: Apoptosis; Bax; Bcl-2; Caspase 8 and Caspase 9; Lead toxicity; Rats