Lead exposure alters the development of agonistic behavior in golden hamsters

We tested the effects of exposure to different doses of lead acetate (either 0, 25, 100, or 400 ppm) on the development of aggressive behavior in male golden hamsters. Pups were tested for offensive responses across puberty, as they were maturing from play fighting to adult aggression. Our data show a dose-specific effect of lead exposure on the development of aggression during puberty at doses resulting in blood levels well below 20 microg/dl. Animals exposed to 25 ppm lead acetate were faster and performed more than twice as many attacks on intruders by late puberty. They were also twice as likely to initiate adult instead of play-fighting attacks around mid-puberty. These observations were independent of any effect on growth. Thus, exposure to low doses of lead enhanced aggression and accelerated its maturation. As such, our data support the association between exposure to low doses of lead and aggressive behavior in boys.