Abstract
The effect of maternally administered lead (Pb 5.0 mg/kg) and/or manganese (Mn 6 mg/kg) on the brain growth and some biochemicals was investi-gated in 21 day old pups exposed during gestation and/or lactation. The pups continuously exposed to the mixture of Pb and Mn during pre-and postnatal life presented with significant alterations in the body, brain weights, contents of DNA, RNA, protein and accumulation of both the metals in the brain, the magnitude of these changes was greater in pups exposed to the mixture of Pb and Mn during gestation+lactation than observed in pups identically exposed during gestation only. Pups subjected to any regime of metal exposure during lactation were least affected as indicated by no changes in the brain growth and biochemical parameters. Accumulation of Pb in the brain increased several folds in the animals exposed to the mixture of Pb and Mn in comparison to that observed after exposure to Pb alone. These data suggest that exposure to the two metal ions during prenatal and early postnatal life is more injurious to the brain growth than the identical exposure during the lactation alone.
