抄録
Lead (Pb), a non-essential trace metal, is ubiquitous in our environment, yet it has no physiologic role in biological systems and it is recognized as a toxic environment pollutant which the primary target of its toxicity is the nervous system. Even if it is supposed to be excreted by the urine, it was shown that the inorganic lead crosses the placental barrier and accumulates in fetal tissues including the brain. It is known that its toxicity causes structural, neurochemical and/or behavioral brain impairments.
The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of persistence of lead nitrate on some nervous structures; hippocampus and entorhinal cortex of male and female F2 generation Wistar rats. The intoxication lasted ten months and the stopping of treatment was for six weeks. A histological study of different cited brain structures is conducted.
The results show that the hippocampus and the entorhinal cortex of intoxicated rats by lead are too affected even the administration of toxic is stopped, in both sexes; the histological study demonstrate the presence of nuclear pyknosis, cell shrinkage and eosinophilic cytoplasm, in both structures of these groups of rats compared to the controls ones.
Lead is neurotoxic that its toxicity’s impacts remain after removing source of contamination. So, the introduction of chelating therapy is needed.
Keys words: Persistent effect, lead, hippocampus, Entorhinal cortex, F2 generation rat.
