Dietary Lead Alters Fatty Acid Composition and Membrane Peroxidation in Chick Liver Microsomes

Inorganic Pb acetate is a pro-oxidant, and peroxidation damage to cellular membrane lipids, leading to membrane fragility and permeability, is a likely consequence of Pb poisoning. In addition to the systemic peroxidation that occurs in vivo, Pbcontaminated feedstuffs can contribute preformed peroxides. Treatments with dietary Pb that have been shown to increase tissue peroxide levels in animals may be related to the consumption of preformed peroxides from the diet. In the current study, we evaluated the possible separate effects of feed and systemic peroxides by administering equivalent doses of Pb acetate-