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Effects of cadmium exposure on zinc and copper distribution in neonatal rats

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Abstract

Tissue zinc and copper concentrations undergo marked changes in the neonatal rat during the first several weeks of life and it was of considerable interest to study the effect of cadmium exposure on these ontogenic changes. Long evans rats received either 2 or 10 μmol cadmium chloride per kg SC at 9 days of age and were sacrificed at 20 or 36 days of age. Tissue copper and zinc concentrations in cadmium-treated rats were compared to those of age-matched controls for statistically significant changes. The tissue affected, the element altered and the direction of change in concentration, increased (+) or decreased (-), are summarized for the two dosing groups (age at dosing, age at sacrifice in days): 2 μmol/kg (9, 20): kidney Zn (+), blood Zn (-), cerebral Cu (-), cerebellar Cu (+); 2 μmol/kg (9, 36): blood Zn (-); 10 μmol/kg (9, 20); liver, kidney, cerebral and cerebellar and blood Zn (-), cerebellar Cu (+); 10 μmol/kg (9, 36]: liver and heart Zn (+), blood Zn (-); liver and heart Zn (+), blood Zn (-); kidney, cerebral, cerebellar and heart Cu (+). Changes in tissue zinc or copper concentrations produced by cadmium treatment could not be accounted for by the direct replacement of these elements by cadmium and may be due to alterations in transport of these elements. These results indicate that early life exposure to low levels of camium can have large and persistent effects on the distribution of the essential metals, copper and zinc.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, The Johns Hopkins University, 21205, Baltimore, MD, USA

    David J. Thomas

  2. The Kennedy Institute for Handicapped Children, 21205, Baltimore, MD, USA

    David J. Thomas

  3. Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, 27514, Chapel Hill, NC, USA

    Paul Mushak

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  1. David J. Thomas
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Thomas, D.J., Mushak, P. Effects of cadmium exposure on zinc and copper distribution in neonatal rats. Arch Toxicol 58, 130–135 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00340971

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00340971

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