Acute lead encephalopathy in the guinea pig.

Acute lead encephalopathy was induced in adult guinea pigs with daily oral doses of lead carbonate. Cerebral capillaries were examined by electron microscopy, and the blood-brain barrier (B-BB) evaluated with Evans blue and horseradish peroxidase. Brain lead levels were also determined during the developing encephalopathy. There was no cerebral capillary alteration or demonstrable B-BB dysfunction. Brain lead concentrations increased over the 5-day period. The encephalopathy in the absence of any vascular alteration suggests that lead can produce a primary toxic effect at the neuronal level.