[Concentration of different metabolites during experimental lead deficiency]

Different metabolite concentrations were determined in serum, liver, and femur of rats from the F1 generation of a lead-depletion experiment with 18 ppb lead in the depletion diet. In serum as well as in liver the protein concentrations were not different between depletion and control rats, whereas the femur of lead-depleted rats the protein concentration was higher than in control animals. A short time after weaning in young rats there was no difference in glucose and glycogen concentrations in liver between depletion group and the control group. On the contrary, in older lead-depleted rats the glucose concentration in liver was reduced. Massive changes in lead deficiency occurred in certain lipid fractions. In comparison with control rats, in lead-deficient rats the concentrations of triglycerides in serum and liver and the concentrations of LDL and phospholipids in liver were reduced. On the contrary, the livers of lead-depleted rats showed a higher cholesterol concentration than those of control animals. However, the cholesterol concentration in sera of lead-depleted rats was reduced.