Study on DNA damage of neural cells during pregnancy and newborn in lead-induced rats

  Objective   To study the effect of lead exposure during pregnancy and new born on DNA damage in the neural cells of newborn rat.

  Methods   Pregnant rats were divided into six groups randomly, and were treated with lead acetate at the dosage of 0, 50, 80, 120, 150, 200 mg/(kg·bw)by gastric feeding from day 1 of gestation to day 8 after delivery.The single cells were dissociated from hippo camous and cerbral cortex of new born rats at 8 days old.Then single cell gel electrophoresis test was used to measure the DNA damage.Comet length means and percentage of tailed cell were observed.

  Results   The lead acetate could induce the breakage of DNA single strand and resulted in comet cells with tail in every treatment dosage groups compared with control group(P < 0.05).Both the number of comet cells and the length of DNA migration increased with increasing of dosage of lead acetate.

  Conclusion   Lead acetate might cause DNA damage of rat neural cells.The damage was positive correlative with the lead dosage.The single cell gel electrophoresis test was a useful tool for deter mining the geno toxicity and apoposis of neural cells.