Effects of chronic lead administration on ethanol-induced locomotor and brain catalase activity

Several reports have demonstrated that chronic lead administration decrease s brain catalase activity in animals. Other reports have shown a role of br ain catalase on ethanol-induced behaviors. In the present study, we questio ned whether mice treated chronically with lead, and therefore functionally devoid of brain catalase activity, exhibit some alterations in ethanol-indu ced behaviors. Swiss-Webster mice were exposed to drinking fluid containing either 500 ppm lead acetate or sodium acetate (control group) for 0, 15, 3 0, or 60 days before an acute ethanol administration. Following ethanol inj ection (2.5 g/kg, i.p.), animals were placed in open field chambers and loc omotor activity was measured. Lead exposure had no effect on spontaneous lo comotor activity. However, a reduction in ethanol-induced locomotor activit y was found at all periods of lead exposure. After 60 days of treatment, th e lead group demonstrated 35% less activity than the control group. Brain c atalase activity was significantly reduced in the lead group following 60 d ays of exposure. This reduction in ethanol-induced locomotor activity and i n brain catalase activity persisted after 40 days of lead withdrawal. The f act that brain catalase and ethanol-induced locomotor activity followed a s imilar pattern could suggest a relationship between both lead acetate effec ts and also a role for brain catalase in ethanol-induced behaviors. (C) 199 9 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.