title: Effects of chronic lead exposure on bone mineral properties in femurs of growing rats.
abstract: Lead exposure has been associated with several defective skeletal growth processes and bone mineral alterations. The aim of the present study is to make a more detailed description of the toxic effects of lead intoxication on bone intrinsic material properties as mineral composition, morphology and microstructural characteristics. For this purpose, Wistar rats were exposed (n=12) to 1000ppm lead acetate in drinking water for 90days while control group (n=8) were treated with sodium acetate. Femurs were examined using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES), Attenuated Total Reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and micro-Computed Tomography (μCT). Results showed that femur from the lead-exposed rats had higher carbonate content in bone mineral and (Ca2++Mg2++ Na+)/P ratio values, although no variations were observed in crystal maturity and crystallite size. From morphological analyses, lead exposure rats showed a decreased in trabecular bone surface and distribution while trabecular thickness and cortical area increased. These overall effects indicate a similar mechanism of bone maturation normally associated to age-related processes. These responses are correlated with the adverse actions induced by lead on the processes regulating bone turnover mechanism. This information may explain the osteoporosis diseases associated to lead intoxication as well as the risk of fracture observed in populations exposed to this toxicant.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Geología, Facultad de Geología, Universidad de Oviedo, Oviedo, Spain. Electronic address: pedroalvarez@uniovi.es.
authors.forename: Pedro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Álvarez-Lloret
authors.affiliation: Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Odontología, Cátedra de Fisiología, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Ching Ming
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Odontología, Cátedra de Fisiología, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: María Inés
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Conti
authors.affiliation: Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Odontología, Cátedra de Fisiología, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Antonela Romina
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Terrizzi
authors.affiliation: Department of Operative Dentistry, School of Dentistry, University of Granada, Spain.
authors.forename: Santiago
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: González-López
authors.affiliation: Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Odontología, Cátedra de Fisiología, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: María Pilar
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Martínez
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015519:Bone Density / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D016723:Bone Remodeling / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005269:Femur / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism; D007854:Lead / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000633:toxicity*; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D017550:Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared; D014961:X-Ray Diffraction
chemical_list: D007854:Lead
keywords: Bone mineralization; Bone morphology; Bone turnover; Lead intoxication; Osteoporosis; Rat femur