Effects of lead on the heme biosynthetic pathway in rat kidney.

Exposure of rats to lead in drinking water at concentrations of 500 ppm and 1000 ppm for 3 and 6 months resulted in elevated blood lead levels, formation of kidney intranuclear inclusion bodies, and increased urinary excretion of uroporphyrin and coproporphyrin. The erythrocytic Zn-protoporphyrin was increased in the highest dose group. No significant effects on body weight gain or kidney weight were observed. Renal activity of delta-aminolevulinic acid synthetase (ALAS) was not significantly affected by lead treatment. The renal activity of delta-aminolevulinic acid dehydrase (ALAD) was moderately increased and ferrochelatase activity was significantly decreased. The relatively small effects of chronic lead exposure on renal heme biosynthesis suggests that intracellular complexation of lead with high-affinity renal lead binding proteins (PbBP) and formation of intranuclear inclusions in proximal tubule cells protects this highly sensitive pathway in kidney from lead inhibition in vivo. These data also suggest that the observed increases in urinary porphyrin excretion are primarily due to lead effects on the erythropoietic system.