Lipid peroxidation induced by maternal cadmium exposure in mouse pups
- China Medical Univ., Shenyang (China)
- Kagoshima Univ., Kagoshima City (Japan)
Cadmium as an environmental pollutant has received considerable attention and its toxic effects have been studied extensively in human and adult animals. Moreover, an International Task Group on Metal Accumulation (1973) has established that although it is in a limited quantity cadmium can be transported across placenta and excreted through milk in animals. Likewise, it can pass through placenta in humans. Furthermore, the fact is that women in the cadmium-polluted areas are continuously exposed to cadmium during gestation and lactation. Even if they are removed from the exposure, the body burden of cadmium probably remains high because of the very long biological half-time of cadmium which is estimated to be between 17.6 and 33 years. Thus, it is possible that fetuses and pups may be exposed to cadmium during maternal gestation and lactation. Although placenta affords some protection from cadmium exposure, cadmium exposure prior to day 10-11 when placenta forms may be deleterious. Cadmium exposure during pregnancy and its effects on offsprings, which were mainly focused on litter size, pup survival, pup growth and cadmium contents in pups following maternal cadmium exposure have been reported. Lipid peroxide has been considered as a sensitive toxicological index for environmental pollutants. The inhibited antioxidant enzymes and enhanced lipid peroxidation due to cadmium exposure have been demonstrated both in humans and animals. Therefore, the present study was designed to evaluate the toxic effects of maternal cadmium exposure on mouse pups using both the indices used in the previous studies and determinations of lipid peroxide concentrations in various pup organs. In conclusion, data from the present study indicate that the detection of LPO concentration in selected pup tissues is a sensitive index for evaluating the effects of maternal cadmium exposure on mouse pups. 16 refs., 4 tabs.
- OSTI ID:
- 35726
- Journal Information:
- Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, Vol. 51, Issue 5; Other Information: PBD: Nov 1993
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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