Alterations of striatal monoamine metabolites in young rats following pre- and postnatal lead exposure

Dam rats were given lead (0, 0.58, 1.76, and 5.27 mmol/l) containing water ad lib from day 16 of gestation to weaning of the offspring on day 21 postpartum. The pups continued drinking the same lead containing water until the postnatal day 30. At the 30th day postpartum, the pups in each lead treated group were divided into four groups. The first group contains six male pups (PN30M). The second, third, and fourth groups contain six female pups (PN30F, PN60a, PN60b), respectively. The six female pups from control group formed the fifth group (PN60c). PN60a continued drinking the same lead-containing water until the postnatal day 60. PN60b were dosed with distilled water instead of lead-containing water from the 30th day to the 60th day postpartum. PN60c began to expose to 5.27 mmol Pb/l from the 30th day to the 60th day postpartum. The rats in PN30M and PN30F were decapitated on the 30th day postartum, whereas PN60a, PN60b, and PN60c were decapitated on the 60th day postpartum. The contents of metabolites of monoamine neurotransmitters: homovanillic acid (HVA), dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC), 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycol (MHPG), and 5-hydroxyin-doleacetic acid (5-HIAA) in striatum were determined using high performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection (HPLC-ECD). There were significant increases in the concentrations of HVA (1.58 ± 0.30 vs. 1.17 ± 0.12 ng/mg wet tissue in the 5.27 mmol Pb/l group of PN30M, p < 0.01; and 1.44 ± 0.08 vs. 1.17 ± 0.10 ng/mg wet tissue in the 5.27 mmol Pb/l group of PN60a, p < 0.05) and DOPAC (2.39 ± 0.25, 2.47 ± 0.28, 2.39 ± 0.44 vs. 1.82 ± 0.24 ng/mg wet tissue in three lead treated groups of PN60a, p < 0.05). The significant decreases in the concentration of MHPG (37.33 ± 5.53, 32.02 ± 6.87, 33.31 ± 2.41 vs. 43.85 ± 4.93 ng/mg wet tissue in the 0.58 mmol Pb/l group of PN60a, p < 0.05; in the 1.76 and the 5.27 mmol Pb/l group of PN60a, p < 0.01) and 5-HIAA (0.23 ± 0.04 vs. 0.38 ± 0.05 ng/mg wet tissue in the 5.27 mmol Pb/l group of PN30M, p < 0.05; 0.26 ± 0.09 vs. 0.45 ± 0.09 ng/mg wet tissue in the 5.27 mmol Pb/l group of PN30F, p < 0.05; 0.31 ± 0.08 vs. 0.44 ± 0.08 ng/mg wet tissue in the 5.27 mmol Pb/l group of PN60a, p < 0.05) were observed. No significant changes in the concentration of monoamine metabolites were observed either in rats of PN60b or PN60c. The results demonstrated the disturbances of monoamine metabolism in the striatum of developmental lead exposed rats.