The influence of subcutaneously administered lead(II) acetate on the concentrations of copper, iron, and zinc in the blood, kidney, liver, and spleen of rats

• Published in: Science of the total environment 1987-06, Vol.64 (1), p.117-123
• Main Authors: Gasiorowski, Kazimierz, Pawlowski, Tomasz, Spychala, Jan, Swiatek, Jolanta, Kozlowski, Henryk
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Chemical and industrial products toxicology. Toxic occupational diseases; Copper - metabolism; Injections, Subcutaneous; Iron - metabolism; Kidney - drug effects; Kidney - metabolism; Kinetics; Lead Poisoning - metabolism; Liver - drug effects; Liver - metabolism; Male; Medical sciences; Metals and various inorganic compounds; Organometallic Compounds - administration & dosage; Organometallic Compounds - pharmacology; Rats; Rats, Inbred Strains; Spleen - drug effects; Spleen - metabolism; Toxicology; Zinc - metabolism
• ISSN: 0048-9697; 1879-1026
• DOI: 10.1016/0048-9697(87)90126-4

The concentrations of copper, iron, lead, and zinc in the blood, kidney, liver and spleen were determined before and after subcutaneous administration of lead(II) acetate (100 mg Pb kg −1 body weight) to male albino Wistar rats. The control rats had the following concentrations (μg g −1 dry weight) of Cu, Fe, Pb and Zn: blood, 4.5, 3200, 2.1, 182; kidney, 36, 585, 120, 92; liver, 11.1, 720, 14.3, 124; spleen, 4.5, 420, 7.0, 76. After administration of lead, rats were sacrificed after 12, 24, 48, 72 and 96 h. The Pb concentration in the blood remained constant for the first 24 h at the level of the control group (2.1 μg g −1) and had decreased to half that level at 96 h. The lead concentrations peaked in the organs at 110–142% of those in the control group and had decreased at 96h to levels considerably below those in the control group. The concentrations of Cu, Fe and Zn increased in the three organs to values 117–161% found for the control group. At 96 h the concentrations of Cu, Fe and Zn in the spleen had returned to levels of the control group; the concentrations in the liver were 112–153%, and in the blood 89–93% of those of the control group. In the kidney the iron (110%) and the zinc (126%) concentrations at 96 h were higher than the control values, whereas the copper concentration was the same as the control value. The concentrations in the blood were least affected. The most drastic changes were observed in the liver. These investigations show that heavy metals might exert their toxic effects through changes induced in the concentrations and distribution of essential elements in an organism.