At the NIH-Center for Environmental Health (Jackson, MS), a study was designed to analyze the impacts of lead nitrate, a component that has been greatly reduced in paint and ceramic products, and yet its exposure levels in humans remain a concern. Because industrial sources of lead persist in our environment, these researchers evaluated its effects on the DNA damage, cell cycle arrest, and induction of apoptosis in human leukemia cells (HL-60). The Cellometer Vision was used to measure live and necrotic cells with propidium iodide. After exposure to lead nitrate, the cells showed significant increases in necrotic death, DNA damage, cell cycle arrest, and apoptosis. The results reported here provide new evidence of lead-based mechanisms of cellular damage and its downstream effects on human health.

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