The effects of lead on GABAergic interneurons in rodents

Lead is a heavy metal that affects various systems and organs in the body, especially the nervous system. In this study, the in vivo and in vitro effects of lead on neurons were analyzed. We divided mouse pups into three groups based on the concentration of lead exposure: the control group, the low-dose group, and the high-dose group. Changes in behavior (measured by an open-field test and a tail suspension test), blood lead levels (measured by atomic absorption spectrophotometry), the number of GABAergic interneurons (measured by immunohistochemistry), gene expression (measured by qRT-PCR), and DNA methylation (measured by pyrosequencing) were determined in the three groups. The lead-exposed pups showed significantly higher blood lead levels ( p < 0.001). Lead exposure caused hyperactivity and reduced the body weight of the exposed mice compared with that of the controls. The lead-exposed groups showed significantly lower numbers of parvalbumin and neuropeptide Y interneurons and lower expression levels of distal-less homeobox ( Dlx) 1, 2, 5, and 6 genes in the cerebral cortex. To further clarify the mechanism of Dlx gene downregulation, we selected the GE6 cell line, which can differentiate into various subtypes of GABAergic interneurons, for in vitro experiments. We found that high levels of lead also inhibited the expression of Dlx 1/ 2/ 5/ 6 in vitro, but DNA methylation levels were not changed in the GE6 cell line. Furthermore, lead exposure significantly decreased the expression of Olig1 and Ki67 and increased that of Tubb3 in vitro. The present study revealed that lead exposure can alter behaviors, reduce the number of GABAergic interneurons, and change the expression of some important genes in neuronal cells.