Abstract
ACUTE lead toxicity can produce such neurological signs as ataxia, peripheral neuropathy, seizures, coma and even death1. Chronic low level exposure to lead, however, may be accompanied by more subtle defects in behaviour, such as hyper-activity, aggressiveness and shortened attention span2–4. Although lead can cause small (15–25%) and variable changes in the level of brain catecholamines3,5,6, no biochemical basis has been clearly established for these behavioural defects. We have now found, however, that very low concentrations of lead inhibit adenyl cyclase activity in mammalian brain tissue.
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NATHANSON, J., BLOOM, F. Lead-induced inhibition of brain adenyl cyclase. Nature 255, 419–420 (1975). https://doi.org/10.1038/255419a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/255419a0
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