Ascorbic acid ameliorates lead-induced apoptosis in the cerebellar cortex of developing rats

Effects of Ascorbic Acid on Osteopontin Expression and Axonal Myelination in the Developing Cerebellum of Lead-Exposed Rat Pups

“…There was an increase in the blood Pb level and ascorbic acid administration attenuated the increase of Pb levels. The present findings are consistent with results of previous studies, in that ascorbic acid administration is conversely related to the blood Pb level after gestational Pb exposure [17,20]. However, the reduction of cerebellar weight was insignificant by gestational Pb exposure [17].…”

“…Female rats were confirmed to be pregnant when vaginal plugs were present or when sperm was detected on vaginal smears. According to the previous our study [17], day 0 was designated and pregnant female rats were singly caged until the end of the experiments. Animal handling and caring followed the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals, which was issued by the Institute of Laboratory Animal Resources, National Institutes of Health, USA, 1996.…”

“…Female SD rats were randomly divided into three groups: the control group ( n = 3), Pb group ( n = 3), and Pb plus ascorbic acid (PA) group ( n = 3). The design of the experiment and the administered doses of Pb and ascorbic acid were prepared as reported in previous studies [16,17,22]. Lead acetate (Pb(C 2 H 3 O 2 ) 2 , 0.3% in distilled water; (Sigma-Aldrich, St. Louis, MO, USA)) was prepared with glacial acetic acid (0.05%; Junsei Chemical Co., Tokyo, Japan) to prevent Pb precipitation.…”

“…When ingested, iodine-labeled OPN in milk can reach the offspring’s brain resulting in an increase of OPN levels in the brain of the offspring [15]. The early postnatal period is critical for the rodent brain’s development and maturation, and we previously reported that lead (Pb) exposure impairs the normal development of the hippocampus and cerebellum [16,17]. Pb can also be transferred from dam to offspring via the placenta and milk produced by the dam [18].…”

“…Ascorbic acid effectively attenuates the abnormal development of the brain induced by Pb poisoning [16,17,20]. Ascorbic acid is also functionally important during developmental processes including neuronal differentiation and synaptic maturation [21].…”