Biochemical effects of lead pollution in male albino rats

Lead pollution is considered as one of the major risk factors for pregnant women and children. In addition to its dangerous effect on growing youth, lead can accumulate in different organs in the human body. The biological effects of lead exposure in drinking water at different lead doses on male albino rats were investigated. Lead was given to rats in drinking water at 100, 500 and 1000 ppm for 7 weeks. It was observed that lead content was increased in kidneys, liver, brain, RBC's and serum by 26.7, 9.2, 10.7, 12.3 and 5.4-folds respectively at 1000 ppm lead dose compared with control group. It was observed that kidney accumulated very high concentration of lead as compared with other organs with a concomitant increase in serum creatinine in all lead exposed groups with the possibility of producing chronic renal failure. AST, ALT and creatinine were significantly increased by increasing the lead exposure dose. Also, the activity of delta-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase [delta ALAD] was significantly decreased by increasing lead exposure with a concomitant significant decrease in hemoglobin and hematocrite levels but with non-significant decrease in iron indicating the possibility that chronic lead exposure could produce anemia

Effects of lead and/or zinc exposure during the second stage of rapid postnatal brain growth on delta-aminolevulinate dehydratase and negative geotaxis of suckling rats

Lead has been shown to produce cognitive and motor deficits in young rats that could be mediated, at least in part, by inhibition of the zinc-containing heme biosynthetic enzyme delta-aminolevulinate dehydratase (ALA-D). In the present study we investigated the effects of lead and/or zinc treatment during the second stage of rapid postnatal brain development on brain, kidney and blood ALA-D specific activity, as well as the negative geotaxis behavior of rats. Eight-day-old Wistar rats were injected intraperitoneally with saline, lead acetate (8 mg/kg) and/or zinc chloride (2 mg/kg) daily for five consecutive days. Twenty-four hours after treatment, ALA-D activity was determined in the absence and presence of DL-dithiothreitol (DTT). The negative geotaxis behavior was assessed in 9- to 13-day-old rats. Treatment with lead and/or zinc did not affect body, brain or kidney weights or brain- or kidney-to-body weight ratios of the animals. In spite of the absence of effect of any treatment on ALA-D specific activity in brain, kidney and blood, the reactivation index with DTT was higher in the groups treated with lead or lead + zinc than in the control group, in brain, kidney and blood (mean + or - SEM; brain: 33.33 + or - 4.34, 38.90 + or - 8.24, 13.67 + or - 3.41; kidney: 33.50 + or - 2.97, 37.60 + or - 2.67, 15.80 + or - 2.66; blood: 63.95 + or - 3.73, 56.43 + or - 5.93, 31.07 + or - 4.61, respectively, N = 9-11). The negative geotaxis response behavior was not affected by lead and/or zinc treatment. The results indicate that lead and/or zinc treatment during the second stage of rapid postnatal brain growth affected ALA-D, but zinc was not sufficient to protect the enzyme from the effects of lead in brain, kidney and blood.

Lead concentration and delta - aminolevulinic acid dehydratase activity in the blood of non-occupationally exposed Jordanian men

To determine the lead level [Pb-B] and Aminolevulinic Acid Dehydratase [ALAD] activity in the blood of non-occupationally exposed men as a baseline for comparative studies. Blood samples were collected from 88 Jordanian men without occupational exposure, where Pb-B was determined by fameless atomic absorption spectrophotometry. ALAD activity was determined using the European standardized method. Pb-B level ranged from 0.3-10.8 [micro]g/dl with a mean of 2.64f.[micro]/dl. The mean ALAD activity was 47 units per liter with a range of 34-61 U/L. The Pb-B and ALAD activity indicate lower levels of exposure to lead in non-occupationally exposed men in the study group than in other countries

Valores referenciales de la enzima delta aminolevulínico dehidratasa eritrocitaria en Jujuy: influencia de la altitud / Delta aminolevulinic acid dehydratase enzime reference's values in blood in Jujuy: high over sea level influence

La actividad de la enzima ALAD en sangre, es uno de los parámetros más útiles para evaluar la exposición al plomo, por su sensibilidad y especificidad a los niveles de plomo sanguíneo y de los depósitos biológicamente activos. El estudio se orientó a obtener valores de referencia para esta enzima en la Provincia de Jujuy, y comprobar si están condicionados por la altitud, ya que Jujuy presenta un relieve con amplias variaciones altimétricas, entre 600 y 4.500 metros sobre el nivel del mar. Se estudiaron muestras de sangre de poblaciones de la Puna (3.500 metros de altitud), de la Quebrada de Humahuaca (2.800 metros) y valle de San Salvador de Jujuy (1.300 metros). Si bien se hallaron mayores niveles de ALAD (Método Europeo Estandarizado) en la Puna, se interpretó como una respuesta de los moradores de una zona libre de contaminación plúmbica, cuyas estrategias de supervivencia son diferentes a las de otras zonas. Deben considerarse valores de referencia únicos para la Provincia, independientemente de la altitud en que residan sus habitantes. Se establecen valores de referencia y valores límites normales para varones, mujeres y población general

Effect of homeopathic drugs plumbum and opium on experimentally induced lead toxicity in rats.

Homeopathic drugs plumbum 1M and Opium 30 were partially effective in the recovery of delta ALAD activity of the lead (150 mg% lead acetate) intoxicated rats. Plumbum 1M did not exhibit protective effect when dietary lead at high concentrations (> 25 mg% lead acetate) were given concurrently as assessed by blood delta ALAD activity and hemoglobin concentration. However it was partially effective in the recovery of delta ALAD activity and relieving anemia caused by chronic exposure of low doses of lead (below 15 mg% lead acetate).

Acción fotodinámica y no-fotodinámica de las porfirinas sobre la aminolevulico dehidrasa en sangre normal y de pacientes con porfiria cutanea tardia (AU) / Photodinamic action and non-photodinamic action of the porphyrins in aminolevuleico dehydrase in normal blood, and patients with porphyria cutanea tarda

Se ha investigado la acción de concentraciones variables de uroporfirina I, uroporfirinógeno I y mezclas de porfirina aisladas de plasma y orina de pacientes porfíricos sobre la actividad de la alfa-aminolevúlico dehidrasa (ALA-D) de sangre de individuos normales y pacientes con PCT, en diferentes condiciones de iluminación, a 37-C y luego de 2 horas de exposición a la porfirina. La Uro I y el Urogen I inactivan la enzima en la oscuridad, efecto dependiente de la concentración que llega al 30-60% a valore de 10 µM del tetrapirrol. El Urogen I es un inhibidor más efectivo que la Uro I. La presencia de cantidades variables de mezclas de porfirinas aisladas del plasma y orina de pacientes con PCT, en la enzima de sangre normal y porfírica, produce también una inactivación independiente y una dependiente de la luz que aumenta a concentraciones crecientes de la mezcla, a partir de un valor umbral del orden de 1 - 1,5 µM por debajo del cual, los pigmentos no ejercen ningún tipo de inhibición

Alteraçöes na atividade da ácido delta-aminolevulínico desidratase (ALA-D) eritrocitária de ratos por metais / Activity changes of delta aminolaevulinic dehydratase acid (ALA-D) in erytrocytes of rats by metals

A administraçäo ad libitum de soluçöes aquosas de chumbo/cobre, chumbo/zinco e chumbo/cromo, a grupos de ratos WISTAR, machos, pesando entre 180 e 200 gramas, por cinco semanas consecutivas provocou inibiçöes da atividade enzimática do ácido delta-aminolevulínico desidratase (ALA-D). As porcentagens de inibiçäo da ALA-D nos grupos expostos em relaçäo ao grupo controle foram, respectivamente, 45,1% para PB2+/Cu2+, 45,1% para Pb2+/Zn2+, 43,1% para Pb2+/Cr3+ e 27,4% para Pb2+/Cr6+/. Os resultados sugerem internaçöes entre esses elementos, quer ao nível de absorçäo e/ou transporte, ou ainda, através de interferências na atividade da ALA-D

El saturnismo, una porfiria tóxica aguda, es una enfermedad toxogenética / The saturnism, a toxic acute porphyria, is a toxogenetic disease

Se ha determinado actividad de ALA-D eritrocitaria en familias y pacientes no vinculados con distintas porfirias, que han estado expuestos al Pb. Se ha observado que los valores de ALA-D fueron menores que los que corresponderían a la plumbemia medida. En algunos pacientes I-Pb, se encontró además una significativa disminución en la actividad de la Deaminasa, observándose una mayor predisposición a manifestaciones clínicas agudas, aun a bajos niveles de Pb. En base a estos resultados se postula que los pacientes porfíricos, en los cuales existe una deficiencia primaria específica de algunas de las enzimas del camino biosintético del hemo( con un factor de toxogeneticidad k = 5 ñ 0,5, para un k = 10 ñ 1 en individuos no porfíricos intoxicados con plomo), son mucho más sensibles a una I-Pb. En estos casos, el saturnismo podría considerarse como una enfermedad toxogenética

Interferência do chumbo na atividade enzimática da anidrase carbônica / Interference of lead in the enzymatic activity of carbon anhydrase

Foram estudadas as variaçöes ocorridas com as atividades enzimáticas do ácido delta-aminolevulínico desidratase, e da anidrase carbônica eritrocitária, em grupos de operários. Determinou-se que operários expostos, ocupacionalmente, ao chumbo, apresentam, além da diminuiçäo da atividade da ALA-D, também a diminuiçäo da atividade da anidrase carbônica