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Exposure to a Low Lead Concentration Impairs Contractile Machinery in Rat Cardiac Muscle

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Abstract

Lead exposure has been considered to be a risk factor for hypertension and cardiovascular disease. Our purpose was to evaluate the effects of low plasma lead concentration on cardiac contractility in isolated papillary muscles. Wistar rats were divided in control group or group treated with 100 ppm of lead acetate in the drinking water for 15 days. Blood pressure (BP) was measured weekly. At the end of the treatment period, the animals were anesthetized and euthanized, and parameters related to isolated papillary muscle contractility were recorded. The lead concentrations in the blood reached 12.3 ± 2 μg/dL. The BP was increased in the group treated with 100 ppm of lead acetate. Lead treatment did not alter force and time derivatives of the force of left ventricular papillary muscles. In addition, the inotropic response induced by an increase in the extracellular Ca2+ concentration was reduced in the Pb2+ group. However, the uptake of Ca2+ by the sarcoplasmic reticulum and the protein expression of SERCA and phospholamban remained unchanged. Postrest contraction was similar in the both groups, and tetanic peak and plateau tension were reduced in lead group. These results demonstrated that the reduction in the inotropic response to calcium does not appear to be caused by changes in the trans-sarcolemmal calcium flux but suggest that an impairment of the contractile machinery might be taking place. Our results demonstrate that even at a concentration below the limit considered to be safe, lead exerts deleterious effects on the cardiac contractile machinery.

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Acknowledgments

This project was supported by CAPES (Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior) and CNPq/FAPES (Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico and Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Espírito Santo) (54668662/2011). The funders had no role in the study’s design, data collection, or analysis nor were they involved in the manuscript’s preparation or the decision to publish it.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physiological Sciences, Federal University of Espirito Santo, CCS/UFES. Av. Marechal Campos, 1468, Maruípe, 29043-090, Vitoria, Brazil

    Marito A. S. C. Silva, Thiago F. de Oliveira, Camila C. P. Almenara, Gilson B. Broseghini-Filho, Dalton V. Vassallo, Alessandra S. Padilha & Edna A. Silveira

  2. Department of Physiological Sciences, EMESCAM, Vitoria, Brazil

    Dalton V. Vassallo

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  1. Marito A. S. C. Silva
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  2. Thiago F. de Oliveira
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  3. Camila C. P. Almenara
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  4. Gilson B. Broseghini-Filho
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  5. Dalton V. Vassallo
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  6. Alessandra S. Padilha
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  7. Edna A. Silveira
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Correspondence to Alessandra S. Padilha.

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Silva, M.A.S.C., de Oliveira, T.F., Almenara, C.C.P. et al. Exposure to a Low Lead Concentration Impairs Contractile Machinery in Rat Cardiac Muscle. Biol Trace Elem Res 167, 280–287 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-015-0300-0

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