Alterations of intestinal and renal functions in rats after intraperitoneal injections of lead acetate.

When lead acetate was administered intraperitoneally to young rats at a dose of 20 mg/kg (five times a week for 6 weeks), their growth rate was retarded when compared with controls injected with sodium acetate. Only a small amount of the heavy metal reached the circulation and exerted limited effects on typical target organs. However, large, electron-dense inclusion bodies were found in the abdominal cavity. The in vivo intestinal absorption of glucose was reduced. When perfused at 40 mM concentration, the experimental animals had a mean absorption rate of 152.1 nmol/min . cm vs. 230.6 in the controls (p less than 0.01). Also, sodium and potassium transport was reduced. No effects were observed on amino acid transport and (Na+-K+)-ATPase. Mg++-ATPase, glucose-6-phosphatase, fructose-1, 6-diphosphatase, pyruvate kinase, succinic dehydrogenase, and tryptophan hydroxylase in the small intestinal mucosa and the kidney were unaltered. Renal alkaline phosphatase was decreased. These studies confirm the greater susceptibility of some active transport mechanisms of the small intestinal mucosa to lead toxicity, compared to those of the kidney.