Dietary cadmium inhibits spontaneous hepatocarcinogenesis in C3H/HeN mice and hepatitis in A/J mice, but not in C57BL/6 mice

• Published in: Toxicology and applied pharmacology Vol. 186; no. 1; pp. 1 - 6
• Main Authors: Nishiyama, Shoji, Itoh, Norio, Onosaka, Satomi, Okudaira, Masahiko, Yamamoto, Hiroshi, Tanaka, Keiichi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: San Diego, CA Elsevier Inc 2003; Elsevier
• Subjects: Animals; Anticarcinogenesis; Biological and medical sciences; Cadmium; Cadmium - administration & dosage; Cadmium - therapeutic use; Carcinogenesis, carcinogens and anticarcinogens; Chemical agents; Diet; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Liver - drug effects; Liver - metabolism; Liver - pathology; Liver Neoplasms, Experimental - pathology; Liver Neoplasms, Experimental - prevention & control; Male; Medical sciences; Metallothionein; Metallothionein - biosynthesis; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Species Specificity; Tumors; Zinc; Zinc - metabolism; Cadmium; Metallothionein; Zinc; Anticarcinogenesis; Hepatoprotector; Toxicity; Low dose; Rodentia; Oral administration; Hepatic disease; Strain specificity; Anticarcinogen; Biological activity; Heavy metal; Prevention; Carcinogen; Hepatitis; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Mouse; Animal; Digestive diseases; Inhibition; Mechanism of action
• ISSN: 0041-008X; 1096-0333
• DOI: 10.1016/S0041-008X(02)00029-7

Cadmium is known to be a potent carcinogenic and mutagenic metal. However, we demonstrated that dietary supplementation with 50 ppm cadmium inhibits spontaneous carcinogenesis in C3H/HeN and spontaneous hepatitis in A/J mice. We found that the frequencies of spontaneous hepatocarcinogenesis in C3H/HeN mice and of spontaneous hepatitis in A/J mice fed low-dose cadmium for 54 weeks were significantly lower than those in the respective control groups. A cadmium-induced increase in metallothionein production itself and/or metallothionein-associated increases in hepatic zinc concentrations may be involved in the observed preventive effects of cadmium. Our results suggest that low doses of cadmium in the diet or environment may play a beneficial role in the prevention of hepatic disease in humans and animals.