Intermittent low-level lead exposure provokes anxiety, hypertension, autonomic dysfunction and neuroinflammation.

CONCLUSION: This study is the first to show that developmental Pb exposure since fetal period can cause lasting impairments in physiological parameters. The intermittent lead exposure causes adverse health effects, i.e, hypertension, increased respiratory frequency and chemoreflex sensitivity, baroreflex impairment, anxiety, decreased synaptic activity, neuroinflammation and reactive gliosis, in some ways similar to a permanent exposure, however some are lower-grade, due to the shorter duration of exposure. This study brings new insights on the environmental factors that influence autonomic and cardiovascular systems during development, which can help in creating public policy strategies to prevent and control the adverse effects of Pb toxicity. PMID: 30098355 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Source: Neurotoxicology - Category: Neurology Authors: Tags: Neurotoxicology Source Type: research