Chelating agents and cadmium toxicity: problems and prospects

Journal Article · Thu Mar 01 04:00:00 EST 1984 · Environ. Health Perspect.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1289/ehp.8454213· OSTI ID:5775570

Nordberg, G F

Symptoms and signs in humans after excessive exposure to cadmium usually involve the gastrointestinal tract after single oral intake, the lung after acute inhalation, and the kidney after long-term exposure. These organs are usually considered to be the critical organs, the organs most sensitive at a certain type of exposure. The type of Cd-related damage that is most common in humans is probably the renal toxicity after long-term exposure. Most animal experiments, including the most recently published ones, have involved study of gross toxicity and tissue distribution after injection of cadmium in acute experiments. The observations in the older literature that the influence of chelating agents on Cd distribution and excretion is confined to the early period after acute Cd exposure has been confirmed and extended, and the relationship to the time course of metallothionein synthesis has been demonstrated. Although the injection experiments concerning cadmium distribution, particularly those employing repeated exposure, may furnish information that can form a basis for speculation about long-term toxicity to the kidney, there is a lack of direct studies in animals of possible beneficial effects of chelating agents on renal toxicity of cadmium after prolonged exposure. Among the few studies reported, either an increased renal toxicity or a lack of influence on renal toxicity has been observed. The problems in finding a treatment scheme that can be beneficial for the renal toxicity resulting from long-term cadmium exposure thus remain; however, the prospects of finding such schemes in the future seem favorable in view of some of the recent observations. 22 references, 5 figures.

• Research Organization: Umea Univ., Sweden
• OSTI ID: 5775570
• Journal Information: Environ. Health Perspect.; (United States), Journal Name: Environ. Health Perspect.; (United States) Vol. 54; ISSN EVHPA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

560306* -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology-- Man-- (-1987)
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
BODY
CADMIUM
CHELATING AGENTS
CLEARANCE
DATA
DIGESTIVE SYSTEM
DISTRIBUTION
ELEMENTS
EXCRETION
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
GASTROINTESTINAL TRACT
HAZARDS
HEALTH HAZARDS
INFORMATION
INGESTION
INHALATION
INTAKE
KIDNEYS
LUNGS
METALS
NUMERICAL DATA
ORGANS
PATIENTS
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
SENSITIVITY
THERAPY
TIME DEPENDENCE
TISSUE DISTRIBUTION
TOXICITY