As part of a multidisciplinary research project to evaluate the relevance of the rabbit as a male reproductive toxicology model, the effect of lead exposure on renal ODC activity was determined. At sacrifice, kidneys were removed from rabbits that had been treated with lead acetate to produce experimentally established blood lead levels of 0, 20, 40 and 80 ug Pb/DL. Cytosolic ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) activity was measured in kidneys from each treatment group-by determining 14C liberated as CO2 from radiolabled ornithine. Kidney ODe activity was decreased in a dose-dependent manner: Control = 2137+/- 268 dpm; 20ug/DI = 1821 +/-275 dpm; 40ug/DI = 1332+/- 131 dpm and 80ug/DI = 1262 +/- 66.2 dpm. It was recently reported that blood levels of Pb, even within a range considered low, impaired kidney function in adult men. To our knowledge, the need for and function of ODC in rabbit kidney has not been established; however, the dose-dependent inhibition may be related to tissue toxicity. Studies are currently underway to determine if specific forms of ODC are selectively inhibited.
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