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Short-term Effects of Cadmium Exposure on Blood Pressure and Vascular Function in Wistar Rats

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Abstract

Chronic cadmium exposure is known to be associated with vascular changes and increased blood pressure, but its short-term effects on the cardiovascular system remain poorly understood. This study aimed to investigate the pressoric and vascular effects of a 7-day exposure to CdCl2 in Wistar rats. The rats were divided in control group (Ct), which received tap water, and the Cd group, which received a 100 mg/L CdCl2 solution via drinking water for 7 days. We analyzed body weight, plasma Cadmium concentration, systolic blood pressure (SBP), and vascular responses. Despite relatively low plasma Cadmium concentration, the Cd group exhibited elevated SBP and increased contractile response to phenylephrine. Endothelium removal and NOS inhibition increased contractions in both groups. In the Cd group's aorta, we observed enhanced levels of phospho-eNOS (Ser1177) and basal NO release. Cd group showed reduced Catalase expression and increased basal release of H2O2, with catalase reducing the contractile response. In arteries pre-contracted with phenylephrine, Cd group showed impaired endothelium-dependent (Acetylcholine) and independent (sodium nitroprussiate—SNP) relaxation responses. However, responses to SNP were similar after pre-contraction with KCl in both groups. These data suggest early effects of Cadmium on blood pressure and aortic function, indicating impaired H2O2-scavenging by catalase. Increased H2O2 due to Cadmium exposure might explain heightened responses to phenylephrine and weakened relaxation responses mediated by the NO-K+-channels pathway. Our findings shed light on Cadmium's short-term impact on the cardiovascular system, providing insights into potential mechanisms underlying its effects on blood pressure regulation and vascular function.

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Data availability

Data associated with this study are available upon request to the corresponding author. For access to the raw data, analysis code, and other relevant materials supporting the findings of this study, please contact us at alessandra.padilha@ufes.br. Data will be provided in accordance with our institution's data sharing policies and will be made available for review and replication purposes.

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Funding

This study was supported by grants from Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES – Financing code 001); Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq—307742/2021–0) and Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Espírito Santo (FAPES –EDITAL PRONEM 20/2022). The funders had no role in the study design, data collection, data analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Physiological Sciences Post-Graduation Program, Federal University of Espírito Santo, Vitoria, ES, Brazil

    Karoline Alves Rossi, Rakel Passos Simões, Lorraine Christiny Costa Sepulchro Mulher & Alessandra Simão Padilha

  2. Center for Biological and Health Sciences, Federal University of Western Bahia, Barreiras, BA, Brazil

    Camila Cruz Pereira Almenara

  3. Department of Chemistry, Federal University of Espírito Santo, Vitoria, ES, Brazil

    Maiara Krause & Maria Tereza W. D. Carneiro

  4. Programa de Pós-Graduação Em Ciências Fisiológicas, CCS/UFES, Av. Marechal Campos, MaruípeVitoria, ES, 146829043-900, Brazil

    Alessandra Simão Padilha

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  1. Karoline Alves Rossi
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Contributions

Data collection and analysis were performed by Karoline Alves Rossi, Camila Cruz Pereira Almenara,. Rakel Passos Simões, Lorraine Christiny Costa Sepulchro Mulher and Maiara. Alessandra Simão Padilha, Camila Cruz Pereira Almenara and Maria Tereza W. D Carneiro were responsible for conceptualization, methodology, and played a significant role in writing, review, and editing of the manuscript. All authors wrote and revised the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Alessandra Simão Padilha.

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The authors declare no competing interests.

Ethical Approval

The research protocols performed in this study were in accordance with the guidelines recommended by the Brazilian National Biosafety Commission (CTNBio), Brazilian College of Animal Experimentation (COBEA) and American Physiological Society (APS). The project was previously approved by the Ethics Committee on Experimentation and Use of Animals of the Federal University of Espírito Santo (UFES—CEUA 09/2020).

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Rossi, K.A., Almenara, C.C.P., Simões, R.P. et al. Short-term Effects of Cadmium Exposure on Blood Pressure and Vascular Function in Wistar Rats. Biol Trace Elem Res 202, 2645–2656 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-023-03851-5

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