Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Effect of maternal cadmium exposure on postnatal development and tissue cadmium, copper and zinc concentrations in rats

  • Original Investigations
  • Published:
Archives of Toxicology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Administration of 60 ppm cadmium (Cd) in drinking water from the 1st to the 20th day of gestation to female rats did not affect the viability, body weight gain, food, and water consumption of offspring. The blood hemoglobin level was reduced in 2-week-old females and males but not in 16-week-old offspring. Hematocrit and serum glucose level were not affected at either age. Cadmium concentration in the intestinal wall was increased in both age groups, with marginal uptake in other organs. A decrease in copper (Cu) concentration was found in the brain of 2-week-old offspring of both sexes and of 16-week-old females. The brain zinc (Zn) concentration was decreased only in 16-week-old animals. The physical and neuromuscular development of offspring before weaning was not impaired by maternal Cd treatment. The alterations in Cu and Zn metabolism were associated with reduced locomotor activity and affected open-field behavior in adult offspring of either sex and with decreased avoidance acquisition in adult female offspring.

The results obtained suggest a relationship between the reduced brain Cu and Zn levels and CNS dysfunction in adult offspring of female rats exposed to Cd during gestation.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Alder S, Zbinden G (1977) Methods for the evaluation of physical, neuromuscular, and behavioral development of rats in early postnatal life. In: D. Neubert et al. (eds) Methods in prenatal toxicology, Georg Thieme, Stuttgart, pp 175–185

    Google Scholar 

  • Ashby SL, King LI, Parke DV (1981) The effect of cadmium administration on the biliary excretion of copper and zinc and tissue disposition of these metals. Environ Res 26: 95–104

    Google Scholar 

  • Bakka A, Samarawickrama GP, Webb M (1981) Metabolism of zinc and copper in the neonate: effect of cadmium administration during late gestation in the rat on the zinc and copper metabolism of the newborn. Chem Biol Interact 34: 161–171

    Google Scholar 

  • Barański B, Stetkiewicz I, Sitarek K, Szymczak W (1983) Effects of oral, subchronic cadmium administration on fertility, prenatal and postnatal progeny developmental in rats. Arch Toxicol 54: 297–302

    Google Scholar 

  • Barański B (1984) Behavioral alterations in offspring of female rats repeatedly exposed to cadmium oxide by inhalation. Toxicol Lett 22: 53–61

    Google Scholar 

  • Barański B (1985) Effect of cadmium on prenatal development and tissue cadmium, copper and zinc concentration in rats. Environ Res (in press)

  • Burgat-Sacaze V, Rico A, Godfrain G, Braun JP, Bernard P, De Saqui-Sannes P (1978) Toxicité a long terme du cadmium administré à très faible dose chez le rat: Répartition du cadmium, du zinc, et du cuivre. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol 46: 781–791

    Google Scholar 

  • Carlton WW, Kelly WA (1969) Neural lesions in the offspring of female rats fed a copper deficient diet. J Nutr 97: 42–52

    Google Scholar 

  • CEC (1978) Criteria/Dose-Effect Relationship/for Cadmium Commission of the European Communities, Pergamon, Oxford, pp 48–50

    Google Scholar 

  • Choudhury H, Hastings L, Menden EE, Brockman D, Cooper GP, Petering HG (1978) Effects of low level prenatal cadmium exposure on trace metal body burden and behavior in Sprague-Dawley rats. In: Kirchgessner M (ed) Trace metal metabolism in man and animals, vol. 3, Technical University of Munich Press, Freising-Weihenstephan pp 549–552

    Google Scholar 

  • Cooper GP, Choudhury H, Hastings L, Petering HG (1978) Prenatal cadmium exposure effects on essential trace metals and behavior in rats. In: Sikov M, Mahlon D (eds) Developmental toxicology of energy related pollutants. US Department of Energy, Symposium Series 47, Washington, DC 627–637

    Google Scholar 

  • Davis NT, Campbell JK (1977) Effect of cadmium on intestinal copper absorption and binding in rat. Life Sci 20: 955–960

    Google Scholar 

  • DiPaolo RV, Kanfer JW, Newborne PM (1974) Copper deficiency and the central nervous system. Myelination in the rat: Morphological and biochemical studies. J Neuropathol Exp Neurol 33: 226–236

    Google Scholar 

  • Ghafghazi T, Mennear JH (1973) Effects of acute and subacute cadmium administration on carbohydrate metabolism in mice. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol 26: 231–240

    Google Scholar 

  • Halas ES (1983) Behavioral changes accompanying zinc deficiency in animals. Neurobiol Trace Elem 1: 213–243

    Google Scholar 

  • Halas ES, Eberhardt MJ, Diers MA, Sandstead HH (1983) Learning and memory impairment in adult rats due to severe zinc deficiency during lactation. Physiol Behav 30: 3, 371–381

    Google Scholar 

  • Holt D, Webb M (1983) Intestinal and hepatic binding of cadmium in the neonatal rat. Arch Toxicol 52: 291–301

    Google Scholar 

  • Julshamn K, Utine F, Breskkan DR (1977) Interactions of cadmium with copper, zinc and iron in different organs and tissues of the rat. Acta Pharmacol Toxicol 41: 515–524

    Google Scholar 

  • Lease JG (1968) Effect od graded levels of cadmium on tissue uptake of 65Zn by the chick over time. J Nutr 96: 294–302

    Google Scholar 

  • Lucis OI, Lucis R, Shaikh ZA (1972) Cadmium and zinc in pregnancy and lactation. Arch Environ Health 25: 14–25

    Google Scholar 

  • Mason R, Brady FO, Webb M (1981) Metabolism of zinc and copper in the neonate: accumulation of Cu in the gastrointestinal tract of the newborn rat. Br J Nutr 45: 391–399

    Google Scholar 

  • Miller WJ, Lampp B, Powell GW, Salotti CA, Blackman DM (1967) Influence of a high level of dietary cadmium on cadmium content in milk, excretion and cow performance. J Dairy Sci 50: 1404–1408

    Google Scholar 

  • Overmann SR, Fox DA, Wodley DE (1979) Neurobehavioral ontogeny of neonatelly lead-exposed rats. I. Reflex development and somatic indices. Neurotoxicology 1: 125–147

    Google Scholar 

  • Petering HG, Choudhury H, Stemmer KL (1979) Some effects of oral ingestion of cadmium on zinc, copper and iron metabolism. Environ Health Perspect 28: 97–106

    Google Scholar 

  • Pietrzak-Flis Z, Rehnberg GL, Favor MJ, Cahill DF, Laskey JW (1978) Chronic ingestion of cadmium and/or tritium in rats. Environ Res 16: 9–17

    Google Scholar 

  • Pond WG, Walker EF (1975) Effect of dietary Ca and Cd level of pregnant rats on reproduction and on dam and progeny tissue mineral concentrations. Proc Soc Exp Biol Med 148: 666–668

    Google Scholar 

  • Powell GW, Miller WJ, Blackman DM (1967) Effect of dietary EDTA and cadmium on absorption excretion and retention of orally administered 65Zn in various tissues of zinc-deficient and normal goats and calves. J Nutr 93: 1, 203–212

    Google Scholar 

  • Sahagian BM, Harding-Barlow J, Perry HM (1967) Transmural movements of zinc, manganese, cadmium and mercury by rat small intestine. J Nutr 93: 2, 291–300

    Google Scholar 

  • Sasser LB, Jarboe GE (1977) Intestinal absorption and retention of cadmium in neonatal rat. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol 41: 423–431

    Google Scholar 

  • Sowa B, Steibert E, Gralewska K, Piekarski M (1982) Effect of oral cadmium administration to female rats before and/or during pregnancy on the metallothionein level in the fetal liver. Toxicol Lett 11: 233–236

    Google Scholar 

  • Sowa B, Steibert E (1985) Effect of oral cadmium administration to female rats during pregnancy on zinc, copper, and iron content in placenta, foetal liver, kidney, intestine and brain. Arch Toxicol 56: 256–262

    Google Scholar 

  • Starcher BC (1969) Studies on the mechanism of copper absorption in the chick. J Nutr 97: 3, 321–326

    Google Scholar 

  • Steibert E, Król B, Sowa B, Gralewska K, Kamiński M, Kamińska O, Kusz E (1984) Cadmium-induced changes in the histoenzymatic activity in liver, kidney and duodenum of pregnant rats. Toxicol Lett 20: 127–132

    Google Scholar 

  • Stonard MD, Webb M (1976) Influence of dietary cadmium on the distribution of the essential metals copper, zinc and iron in tissues of the rat. Chem Biol Interact 15: 349–363

    Google Scholar 

  • Sutou S, Yamamoto K, Sendota H, Tomomatsu K, Shimizu Y, Sugiyama M (1980) Toxicity, fertility, teratogenicity and dominant lethal tests in rats administered cadmium subchronically. I. Toxicity studies. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 4: 39–50

    Google Scholar 

  • Suzuki KT, Tanaka Y, Miyamoto E, Kawamura R, Nishikawa M, Yamada YK, Yamamura M (1984) Effect of diet on tissue retention of cadmium heavily preaccumulated in rats. Arch Environ Contam Toxicol 13: 609–619

    Google Scholar 

  • Van Campen DR (1966) Effects of zinc, cadmium, silver and mercury on the absorption and distribution of copper-64 in rats. J Nutr 88: 125–130

    Google Scholar 

  • Webster WS (1978) Cadmium-induced fetal growth retardation in the mouse. Arch Environ Health 33: 36–42

    Google Scholar 

  • Webster WS (1979) Iron deficiency and its role in cadmium-induced fetal growth retardation. J Nutr 109: 1640–1645

    Google Scholar 

  • Zar JH (1974) Biostatistical Analysis. Prentice-Hall, Inc.: Englewood Cliffs, NJ

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Occupational Medicine, Teresy 8, 90-950, Łódź, Poland

    Boguslaw Barański

Authors
  1. Boguslaw Barański
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Barański, B. Effect of maternal cadmium exposure on postnatal development and tissue cadmium, copper and zinc concentrations in rats. Arch Toxicol 58, 255–260 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00297116

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00297116

Key words

Search

Navigation