Komulainen H, Pietarinen R, Tuomisto J
Arch Toxicol Suppl. 1984;7:394-7. doi: 10.1007/978-3-642-69132-4_69.
Tetraethyl lead (TEL) was given to adult rats at single doses of 30, 90, or 180 mumol/kg in soya bean oil by gavage. 24 h later the concentrations of three monoamines were measured in the hypothalamus, occipital cortex and corpus striatum. Cortical noradrenaline (NA) decreased by 17-31% with increasing TEL dose and hypothalamic NA by 32% at the highest TEL dose. After administration of the cumulative total doses of 3, 10, or 30 mumol/kg TEL over 3 weeks, the corpus striatum was most severely affected: levels of NA and dopamine (DA) decreased by 12-22% while that of 5-HT increased by 11% at the highest TEL dose. The changes of 5-HT levels were opposite to those of catecholamines in other brain regions as well suggesting a reciprocal interaction between serotonergic and catecholaminergic neurones.
