Changes in regional brain GFAP levels and behavioral functioning following subchronic lead acetate exposure in adult rats
article
Adult male WAG/Rij/MBL rats were dosed with lead acetate at 0, 4.0, 8.0 or 12.5 mg/kg, 5 days per week for 4 weeks. Animals were assessed prior to exposure, at the end of the 4-week exposure period and after a 2-week recovery period using a functional observational battery (FOB) and motor activity assessment. Rats were sacrificed two weeks after the last test session and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) concentrations were measured in eight selected brain regions. A dose-dependent decrease in motor activity was observed immediately following the end of the exposure period with no differences observed 2 weeks after cessation of exposure. Alterations in gait, decreased fore-and hindlimb grip strength, and decreased arousal were also found. Behavioral changes were accompanied by reduced weight gain and decreased body temperature during the course of exposure. GFAP concentrations were elevated in the frontal cortex, occipital cortex, striatum and hippocampus but not in thalamus, cerebellum or brain stem. These results indicate that lead causes functional effects in the adult rat which can be detected by neurobehavioral methods. Furthermore, region-specific alterations in brain GFAP concentrations provided evidence of specificity of lead neurotoxicity in the adult brain.
Topics
Adult RatsBrainGFAPLeadNeurobehaviorGlial fibrillary acidic proteinLead acetateAnimal behaviorAnimal experimentAnimal tissueArousalBrain homogenateConference paperControlled studyDose time effect relationGaitGrip strengthHindlimbLong term exposureMaleMotor activityNeurotoxicityNonhumanPriority journalProtein determinationRatWeight gainAnimalsBehavior, AnimalBrainGlial Fibrillary Acidic ProteinMaleOrganometallic CompoundsRatsRats, WistarTime FactorsAnimalia
TNO Identifier
233602
ISSN
0161813X
Source
NeuroToxicology, 17(3-4), pp. 725-734.
Pages
725-734
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