Neurotoxic effects of gestational administration of low-dose lead acetate.

Lead acetate (300 mg l-1) was administered to pregnant Wister rats from day 1 of pregnancy to day 0 postpartum or day 5 postpartum, via drinking water. On these days, pups were sacrificed, collecting the blood to determine the concentration of lead by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Brains were used to determine the total content of nucleic acids, DNA/RNA ratio and the total amount of proteins, lipids and monoamines. We found a reduction in protein content on day 0 postpartum, and changes in monoamine concentration on day 0 postpartum and day 5 postpartum. These data suggest that prenatal and early lactational exposure to a relatively low dose of lead could produce alterations in monoaminergic metabolism.