Burger J, Gochfeld M
Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08855, USA.
Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 1995 Nov;52(3):601-8. doi: 10.1016/0091-3057(95)00147-o.
In humans and other animals, lead exposure in infants and young animals affects anatomic, physiologic, behavioral, and intellectual development. Yet it is largely unknown whether the effects occur gradually or are more pronounced if exposure occurs at particular stages. In this article we examine the effects of temporal differences in lead exposure on early behavioral development in herring gulls (Larus argentatus). We randomly assigned 64 1-2-day-old gull chicks to one of four treatment groups to receive a lead acetate dose at age 6 days (100 micrograms/g) or 12 days (50 or 100 micrograms/g), or to receive matched volume saline injections on the same days. Behavioral tests were performed at 2-5-day intervals to examine locomotion, balance, righting response, thermoregulation, and visual cliff. Flight behavior was examined at fledging. Results were compared with previously studied exposures at 2, 4, and 6 days of age. Righting response and balance were disrupted immediately after exposure, regardless of the timing of exposure. Thermoregulatory, visual cliff, and individual recognition behavior were more affected by exposure at 2-6 days, and there was little effect with exposure at 12 days. These results confirm the existence of critical periods for certain behaviors to lead exposure in developing herring gulls.
在人类和其他动物中，婴儿和幼小动物接触铅会影响其解剖学、生理学、行为和智力发育。然而，目前尚不清楚这些影响是逐渐发生的，还是在特定阶段接触铅时更为明显。在本文中，我们研究了铅暴露时间差异对银鸥（Larus argentatus）早期行为发育的影响。我们将64只1 - 2日龄的鸥雏随机分配到四个处理组之一，分别在6日龄（100微克/克）或12日龄（50或100微克/克）接受醋酸铅剂量，或者在相同日期接受等量生理盐水注射。每隔2 - 5天进行行为测试，以检查运动能力、平衡能力、翻正反射、体温调节和视觉悬崖反应。在幼鸟离巢时检查飞行行为。将结果与之前在2、4和6日龄时研究的暴露情况进行比较。无论暴露时间如何，暴露后翻正反射和平衡能力立即受到干扰。体温调节、视觉悬崖反应和个体识别行为在2 - 6日龄时暴露受到的影响更大，而在12日龄时暴露影响较小。这些结果证实了在发育中的银鸥中，某些行为对铅暴露存在关键期。
