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The Effects of Developmental Lead Exposure in the Rat on Brain Excitability Through in-vivo Seizure Susceptibility
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2019-04-26
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Abstract
Developmental lead poisoning in the rat model has been shown to alter the
influence that the GABAergic inhibitory system has in balancing brain excitability
across the lifespan. The results of disrupted inhibitory systems in early
development are associated with later life behavioral and cognitive impulsivity and
poor decision making, increased agitation and emotional dysregulation, and
learning and memory problems. The present study sought to investigate the effects
of perinatal lead exposure at 150 ppm and 1,000 ppm (via drinking water), when i
compared to Control {non-lead exposed rats), an adult (postnatal day 55-70) Long
Evans Hood Rats seizure susceptibility when challenged by the Glutamatergic
agonist Kainic Acid (5mg/kg s.c.). In-vivo neurosurgeries were conducted under
Ketamine (91mg/kg) and Xylazine (9.1mg/kg) anesthesia cocktails (i.p.) for 90
minutes. During the first 15 minutes, baseline brain activity were recorded,
followed by Kainic Acid induced seizures for the remainder of the experiment. The
seizure latency, type, duration, and frequency as well as severity were recorded to
assess differences in seizure susceptibility as a function of Sex and Lead Exposure.
These results suggest that developmental lead poisoning may cause persistent
deficits in GABAergic inhibitory processes that may underlying issues with sensory
integration, coordinated activity/associativity, and the ability to regulate cognitive
and behavioral neural networks due to elevated brain excitability. Further, the
present work suggests that developmental lead poisoning, in theory. could be
alleviated by psychotropic medications directed at increasing GABAergic tone to
regain excitation:inhibition balancing to improve cognitive and behavioral function
across the lifespan once detected.
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Student research presented at SURC-2019, Farmingdale, NY sponsored by multiple departments at SUNY Old Westbury