CNS Effects of Developmental Pb Exposure are Enhanced by Combined Maternal and Offspring Stress

VIRGOLINI, M.B.; ROSSI-GEORGE, A; LISEK, R.;WESTON, D.D.; THIRUCHELVAM, M.; CORY-SLECHTA, D.A

ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV

Año: 2008 vol. 29 p. 812 - 812

Lead (Pb) exposure and elevated stress are co-occurring risk factors. Both impact brainmesolimbic dopamine/glutamate systems involved in cognitive functions. We previously foundthat maternal stress can potentiate Pb-related adverse effects in offspring at blood Pb levelsaveraging approximately 40 ug/dl. The current study of combined Pb exposure and stresssought to extend those results to lower levels of Pb exposure, and to examine relationshipsamong consequences in offspring for Fixed Interval (FI) schedule-controlled behavior,neurochemistry and corticosterone levels. Dams were exposed to maternal Pb beginning 2 mosprior to breeding (0, 50 or 150 ppm in drinking water), maternal restraint stress on gestationaldays 16 and 17 (MS), or the combination. In addition, a subset of offspring from each resultanttreatment group was also exposed intermittently to variable stressors as adults (MS+OS).Marked ?Pb-stress?-related increas