Cadmium, Effect on Transport Across Cell Membranes

Introduction

Cadmium (Cd²⁺) is an ever-present and global environmental pollutant. Current industrial Cd²⁺ emission has been drastically reduced, but Cd²⁺ continues to be a health hazard (Nawrot et al. 2010). Historically, accumulated Cd²⁺ cannot be degraded, and its half-life in the body is long (10–30 years). Several organs are affected by this heavy metal. In general, long-term exposure studies show skeletal damage, lung disease, and lung cancer. Since 1993, Cd²⁺ has been classified as a group I carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. The main target for chronic, low-level Cd²⁺ exposure, however, is the kidney. Cd²⁺ intoxication leads to proximal tubule dysfunction. The specific mechanisms, however, by which it produces adverse effects on the kidney, have yet to be fully unraveled. Next to reactive oxygen species (ROS) production (Cuypers et al. 2010), interference with gene expression, and repair of DNA (Hartwig 2010), Cd²⁺also interacts with transport...