Effects of ascorbic acid treatment on developmental alterations in calcium-binding proteins and gamma-aminobutyric acid transporter 1 in the cerebellum of lead-exposed rats during pregnancy and lactation.

Effects of ascorbic acid treatment on developmental alterations in calcium-binding proteins and gamma-aminobutyric acid transporter 1 in the cerebellum of lead-exposed rats during pregnancy and lactation. J Toxicol Sci. 2019;44(11):799-809 Authors: Nam SM, Seo JS, Nahm SS, Chang BJ Abstract In the present study, we investigated the effects of lead (Pb) and ascorbic acid co-administration on rat cerebellar development. Female rats were randomly divided into the following groups: control, Pb, and Pb plus ascorbic acid (PA) groups. From one week prior to mating, female rats were administered Pb (0.3% Pb acetate in drinking water) and ascorbic acid (100 mg/kg, oral intubation). The chemical administration was stopped on postnatal day 21 when the morphology of the offspring's cerebellum is similar to that of the adult brain. The blood Pb level was significantly increased following long-term Pb exposure. Ascorbic acid reduced Pb levels in the dams and offspring. Nissl staining demonstrated that the number of Purkinje cells was significantly reduced following Pb exposure, while ascorbic acid ameliorated this effect in the cerebellum of the offspring. Calcium-binding proteins, such as calbindin, calretinin, and parvalbumin were commonly expressed in Purkinje cells, and Pb exposure and ascorbic acid treatment resulted in similar patterns of change, namely Pb-induced impairment and ascorbic acid-mediated amelioration. The gamma-aminobutyric ac...
Source: Journal of Toxicological Sciences - Category: Toxicology Tags: J Toxicol Sci Source Type: research