EFFECTS OF LEAD ON TEMPORAL RESPONSE PROPERTIES OF RETINAL GANGLION-CELLS IN DEVELOPING RATS

Neonatal rats have taken in lead, during the period from their parturi tion to their weaning, from the milk of dams fed with water containing 0.2% lead acetate solutions. The alterations in the temporal response properties of retinal ganglion cells in adult rats (90 days) followin g the lead exposure at their developing stage have been studied. The r esults of this investigation demonstrate that the lead exposure in neo natal rats causes decreases in the optimal temporal frequency, bandwid th at half amplitude, temporal resolution and response phase of the re tinal ganglion cells in adult rats. Compared with the sustained cells, the transient cells have a much greater alteration in temporal respon se properties.