Abstract
Most of the available studies on the neurotoxic effects of Pb exposure are on the children with little attention paid on pregnant women. In this study, we have examined Pb-induced alterations in brain cholinergic system and behaviour of pregnant and adult female rats. Further, we examined the protective effect of α-tocopherol against Pb-toxicity. Pregnant rats were exposed to 0.2% Pb from gestation day 1 (GD 1) to postnatal day (PND) 21 and stopped at weaning. Adult female rats (3 months) were also exposed to same dose with same time frame (42 days) and α-tocopherol (100mg/kg) was given orally through gavage for a period of 21 days (last 3 weeks) after Pb exposure to both pregnant and adult female rats. The results showed increased synaptosoamal acetylcholine (ACh) levels and decresed acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity in cortex, cerebellum and hippocampus regions at 7th day and 30th day following exposure to Pb in both pregnant and adult female rats. Pb exposure significantly altered spatial learning, locomotor activity and open-field behaviours at 7th and 30th days in female rats. However, supplementation of α-tocopherol significantly reversed the Pb-induced alterations in both cholinergic system and behavioural parameters. In conclusion, present data demonstrated that Pb exposure significantly altered the cholinergic system as well as behavioural functions and these alterations were greater in adult female rats than pregnant rats. Further, it is suggested that α-tocopherol supplementation provide protection for pregnant women against Pb-toxicity.
