Influence of ethanol on lead distribution and biochemical changes in rats exposed to lead

In the present study, an attempt has been made to investigate the effect of ethanol consumption on the distribution of lead in different regions of brain and body organs of male albino rats. Lead when administered intragastrically, for a period of eight weeks resulted in almost uniform accumulation of this metal in all the regions of brain, which increased by almost two fold when ethanol was given along with lead. Lead was also seen to compartmentalise in almost all the tissues of the body to varying extents, with the highest accumulation in the kidney. A progressive and appreciable accumulation of lead was seen in blood with a concomitant increase in ZPP levels in animals during the course of treatment, which increased further when ethanol was administered along with lead. The activity of delta-ALAD and AChE in blood was significantly decreased in lead as well as ethanol treated animals. However, in animals coexposed to lead and ethanol, the inhibition of delta-ALAD was not significantly different, when compared to only lead-treated animals. The results suggested that animals exposed to ethanol and lead simultaneously accumulate higher levels of lead in blood and brain of animals making them more vulnerable to the haematological and neurological toxic effects of lead. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Inc. Ail rights reserved.