AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY ON THE EFFECTS OF SIMULTANEOUS ADMINISTRATION OF CADMIUM AND ZINC ON THE ACCUMULATION OF CADMIUM

• Published in: Journal of toxicological sciences Vol. 2; no. 4; pp. 373 - 381
• Main Authors: NAKAMURA, Kenichi, KAJIZUKA, Eiko, NAKANO, Junko, SUGIURA, Yumiko, TAKATA, Tsutomu
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Suita The Japanese Society of Toxicology 1977; Japan Science and Technology Agency
• ISSN: 0388-1350; 1880-3989
• DOI: 10.2131/jts.2.373

An animal experiment with rats was carried out to determine the effects of simultaneous administration of Cd and Zn on the accumulation of Cd in organs during long-term exposure. The diet for Group I contained 50ppm Cd and that for Group II contained 50ppm Cd and 500ppm Zn. Group III was the control group. One-half of the animals in each group were sacrificed after 6 weeks of exposure and the other half after 13 weeks of exposure. Cd, Zn, and Cu concentrations in the liver and the right kidney and Ca concentration in the femur were analyzed. The left kidney was examined histopathologically. The increase of body weight in Group II diminished in the 4th and 5th weeks of exposure, but returned to the normal rate by the 12th week. The average renal Cd concentration of Group I was significantly higher than that of Group II, but no differences was found for that in the liver. Zn accumulation in the liver and the kidney was increased by administration of Cd and it did not depend on the concentration of Zn in diet. No significant intergroup differences were found for Ca concentration in the femur. Cu accumulation in the exposed groups showed a marked increase in the kidney and slight decrease in the liver. Although significant histopathological changes were not observed in the kidney of the exposed groups, some unfavorable influence of Zn on the renal toxicity of Cd was suggested. From these results, it is concluded that Cd accumulation in organs is not influenced by the simultaneous administration of Zn, but Zn concentration increases in the liver and the kidney with Cd exposure.