The effects of low pre-pregnant lead exposure level on maternal bone turnover during gestation and lactation in mice / 中华劳动卫生职业病杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the effects of low pre-pregnant lead exposure level on the mobilization of lead and calcium in maternal skeleton during gestation and lactation in mice.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Seventy Kunming female mice were randomly divided into the lead exposure or control groups, 36 mice were exposed to lead by drinking water (50 mg/L) and 36 mice were exposed to deionized water for 4 weeks. The levels of calcium and lead in blood and femurs were measured on the 1st, 7th and 14th days during gestation and on the 1st,10th and 21st days during lactation with atomic absorption spectrophotometry using a heated graphite atomizer or flame atomic absorption spectrophotometry.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>As compared with the pre-pregnant, at the end of lactation in exposure group the levels of calcium in blood and bones significantly decreased 18.5% and 17.75%, respectively, the levels of lead in blood significantly increased 65.22% and the levels of lead in bones significantly decreased 28.45% (P < 0.05). There was a significant negative correlation between the blood lead level and the bone lead level during gestation and lactation in exposure group (r = -0.904, P < 0.01). There were significant differences of lead and calcium levels during the gestation and lactation between exposure group and control group (P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The lead mobilization in maternal bone occurred during gestation and lactation in mice, which could be accelerated by the low pre-pregnant lead exposure.</p>

Effects of lead acetate on expression of brain-derived neurotropic factor and P75NTR in rat brain / 中华劳动卫生职业病杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the effects of lead acetate on the expression of brain-derived neurotropic factor (BDNF) and its receptor P75NTR in rat brain.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Lead acetate was given to SD rats by intraperitoneal injection (ip) for 5 days at the dosage of 25, 50 and 100mg/kg body weight respectively. The contents of lead in serum, cerebral cortex and hippocampus were measured by atomic absorption spectrophotochemistry. The levels of BDNF mRNA and protein expression in cerebral cortex and hippocampus were observed by RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry, respectively. The levels of P75NTR protein expression in rat brain were measured by immunohistochemistry.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Compared with the control, the contents of lead were significantly increased in serum, cerebral cortex and hippocampus in the treatment groups respectively (P < 0.01, P < 0.05). The BDNF mRNA expression in the cerebral cortex (0.52 +/- 0.05, 0.33 +/- 0.03) and hippocampus (0.77 +/- 0.10, 0.92 +/- 0.08) of 50, 100 mg/kg treated groups was significantly higher than that of the control group (0.52 +/- 0.05, 0.33 +/- 0.03), respectively (P < 0.05). The results of immunohistochemistry showed that the area density of BDNF protein in cerebral cortex of every treatment group (0.040 +/- 0.027, 0.048 +/- 0.027, 0.086 +/- 0.040) was significantly increased whereas the average gray value (187.11 +/- 11.15, 180.53 +/- 5.82, 180.15 +/- 8.01) was significantly lower than that of the control (0.026 +/- 0.005, 204.98 +/- 3.45) (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). The area density of BDNF protein in hippocampus of every treatment group was 0.040 +/- 0.027, 0.048 +/- 0.027, 0.086 +/- 0.040, respectively, which was significantly increased compared with the control (0.045 +/- 0.019, P < 0.05). The average gray value of BDNF protein in hippocampus (181.03 +/- 5.16, 171.25 +/- 12.65) of 50, 100 mg/kg were significantly lower than that of the control (198.98 +/- 6.40, P < 0.01). There was no positive expression of P75NTR protein in the control and 25 mg/kg body weight groups. The positive expression of P75NTR protein was detected in 50 and 100 mg/kg body weight groups.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Lead can increase the BDNF and P75NTR expression in rat brain which might play an important role in the neural damage and repair.</p>