Lead exposure and latent learning ability of adult female rats

The present report investigates the effects of lead exposure during the pre- and postnatal period on the latent learning ability in a maze. Rats were submitted to lead acetate intoxication by giving their dams 0.5, 1.0, or 4.0 mM lead acetate or deionized water. Rats were weaned at 21 days, and the treatment was continued by giving the same solution of lead acetate in the drinking water until behavioral testing. Under a nonappetitive condition, rats were exposed either to an open field or to a maze apparatus. They were thereafter deprived of food and tested in the maze apparatus. Lead treatment induced an increase in locomotor activity in the open field during training sessions, and animals failed to habituate to the environment. Nevertheless, both lead-treated and control rats that had been previously exposed to the maze performed better than those exposed to the open field. These results suggest that rats intoxicated with lead are able to learn about the environment when no immediate reinforcement is involved.