Mt. Antonio et al., GESTATIONAL ADMINISTRATION OF CADMIUM ALTERS THE NEUROTRANSMITTER LEVELS IN NEWBORN RAT BRAINS, Journal of applied toxicology, 18(2), 1998, pp. 83-88
The effects of gestational and early lactational intoxication by cadmi
um (Cd) were studied in the brain of young Wistar rats, Pregnant rats
were exposed to 10 mg of cadmium acetate per litre of drinking water,
from initiation of pregnancy to parturition or until postnatal day 5,
At birth or on postnatal day (PND) 5 the pups were weighed, sacrificed
and brains were removed and frozen for later study, Protein, lipid an
d nucleic acid contents were measured and the brain Cd concentration w
as determined, Levels of dopamine (DA), 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) and
their respective metabolites 3,4-dihydroxy-phenylacetic acid (DOPAC)
and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) were measured in neonatal pup
brain by higher performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical
detection, The results from this experiment showed that Cd increased
the 5-HT and 5-HIAA contents in all areas of the brain and the DA and
DOPAC levels in mesencephalon, but decreased the DA and DOPAC levels i
n the metencephalon, On the other hand, Cd intoxication did not modify
the other biochemical parameters measured, with the exception of a de
crease in nucleic acids on PND 5. (C) 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.