Abstract
Forty adult male rats received one of the following diet (25 g/day) and weekly gastric intubation (2 ml) treatments over a 70 day period: Group Con--control diet and 10 intubations of distilled water; Group CPb--lead diet (73.67 mg/week) and 10 intubations of distilled water; Group WAPb--control diet and 10 intubations of lead (g/kg equivalent to CPb) in distilled water; Group AAPb--control diet and intubations of lead at 5th week and again at 10th week, with intubations of distilled water at other weeks; Group APb--control diet and 9 intubations of distilled water with an intubation of lead at the 10th week. In Exp. 1 weekly activity tests were conducted. Overall, Group CPb, but not Groups WAPb, AAPb or APb, demonstrated greater behavioral activation than Group Con. Surprisingly differences occurred as early as the second week of chronic lead exposure. The effect of lead treatment on ethanol-induced hypothermia was the purpose of Exp. 2. Chronic lead treatment (Group CPb) resulted in marginally significant potentiation of the ethanol-induced decrease in colonic body temperature. In Exp. 3, the effects of lead exposure and a single ip injection of 0.5 g/kg ethanol or saline on behavioral activity were investigated. Ethanol resulted in a decrease in number of vertical movements, which was unaffected by lead treatment. In the final study, Exp. 4, the effects of lead exposure on the metabolism of 4.0 g/kg ethanol were determined. Additionally, lead in blood, brain, kidney, liver, and bone tissues were determined. Exposure to lead had no apparent effects on the metabolism of ethanol across a 4 hr period. Generally, lead-treated animals had higher tissue-lead concentrations than controls, and Group CPb tissue-lead levels were comparable to those of Group WAPb. Possible explanations for these findings and suggestions for future research are discussed.
Grover, Cathy Ann (1992). The effects of chronic and acute lead treatment on activity and ethanol-related behaviors. Texas A&M University. Texas A&M University. Libraries. Available electronically from
https : / /hdl .handle .net /1969 .1 /DISSERTATIONS -1293035.