The effect of lead exposure on content of brain nitric oxide in growing mice

Objective To study the effect of lead exposure on content of brain NO in growing mice.Methods 60 Babl/c sib rats were divided into 4 groups randomly, the numbers of male and female were same in every group. Each group had been treated with 0.075%(high lead group), 0.05%(medium lead group), 0.025%(low lead group) lead acetate in drinking water and distilled water (control group) for 8 weeks respectively. The NO contents of mice brains in every group were detected.Results The weights of mice were treated with different concentration of lead were growing more slowly than weight of the control group, especially that of the high lead group. The effect of lead exposure on content NO in mice brains was that NO contents were suppressed in every lead exposure group and especially in the high lead group compared with that in the control group.Conclusion Lead exposure can lead to growing rats growing more slowly and inhibition of NO synthesis in rat brains.