Influence of dietary lead and calcium on tissue lead accumulation and depletion, lead metabolism and tissue mineral composition in sheep

Two experiments were conducted to study the metabolism and tissue accumulation and depletion of dietary Pb in sheep. In Exp. 1, a feeding trial, 33 wethers, 56 kg initially, were assigned randomly to two dietary treatments: .25% Ca plus 1,000 ppm Pb or .50% Ca plus 1,000 ppm Pb. Supplemental Ca and Pb were supplied as reagent grade calcium carbonate or reagent grade lead acetate. The experiment was divided into two phases of 75 and 180 d; during the first phase, diets contained 1,000 ppm supplemental Pb and during the second phase, diets contained 3 ppm Pb. Calcium level remained constant within treatments throughout both phases. Sheep were slaughtered at various intervals during both phases and tissue samples taken. Lead increased in all tissues during the accumulation period and decreased during the depletion period; however, kidney was the only tissue in which Pb concentration declined to control values by 180 d. Dietary Ca reduced (P less than .05) the concentration of Pb deposited in liver, but not in other tissues. Interactions of dietary Ca and Pb on tissue concentration of various minerals occurred. In Exp. 2, a balance trial, 27 wethers, 53 kg initially, were allotted randomly to four treatments in a 2 X 2 factorial arrangement. Diets contained either 0 or 1,000 ppm supplemental Pb as reagent grade lead acetate and .25 or .50% total Ca with supplemental Ca from calcium carbonate. Increasing dietary Pb increased (P less than .05) percentage of Pb retained and increased (P less than .01) whole blood Pb concentration (1.0 vs 1.42 micrograms/ml).