RESUMEN
We have studied the effect of a chronic pretreatment by lead on the peroxidation processes by measuring the production of the four main volatile hydrocarbons: ethane and pentane as index of lipid peroxidation; propane as marker of protein peroxidation and ethylene as index of both lipid and protein peroxidations. Our results have shown that: 1) lead alone did not increase the physiological formation of alkanes indicating that lead is not able per se to initiate the peroxidative processes; 2) after phenylhydrazine injection, lipid peroxidation makers were not modified, except pentane in male lead-treated rats. Conversely, ethylene and propane exhalation were increased 45 min after phenylhydrazine injection in lead-treated rats indicating a potentialisation of the oxidative effect of phenylhydrazine, mainly on proteins, by lead.