Biochemical and physiologic changes in lungs of rats exposed to a cadmium chloride aerosol

Journal Article · Fri Sep 01 00:00:00 EDT 1978 · Am. Rev. Respir. Dis.; (United States)

OSTI ID:6537090

Bus, J S; Vinegar, A; Brooks, S M

The purpose of this study was to examine the in vivo effects of acute exposure to a cadmium chloride aerosol on the activity of pulmonary enzymes and selected physiologic parameters that are altered by exposure to oxidant agents. Male rats were exposed for 1 hour to 0.5 percent aerosol of cadmium chloride. At 1,5, and 11 days after exposure to cadmium chloride, exposed rats compared to control rats (data expressed as percent of control values) had lung-to-body weight ratios of 192, 174, and 140 percent; lung glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase activities of 90, 107, and 135 percent; lung superoxide dismutase activities of 96, 101, and 132 percent; tidal volumes of 62, 63, and 89 percent; respiratory frequencies of 170, 145, and 108 percent; and lung weight-specific static deflation volumes at 30 cm water of 30, 13, and 31 percent. A zero-order clearance of cadmium from whole lung was observed, with a half-time of 27.4 days. Light microscopic examination of lung tissue revealed initial pulmonary edema on day 1 that progressed to interstitial pneumonitis on day 5, with some recovery by 11 days after exposure. The cadmium induced biochemical, physiologic, and pathologic alterations were similar to the responses observed in lungs of rats exposed to a wide variety of pulmonary irritants; thus, the changes observed may represent a nonspecific response to tissue injury.

• OSTI ID: 6537090
• Journal Information: Am. Rev. Respir. Dis.; (United States), Vol. 118:3
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
CADMIUM CHLORIDES
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
LUNGS
PHYSIOLOGY
AEROSOLS
BIOCHEMISTRY
EDEMA
ENZYME ACTIVITY
ENZYMES
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
LUNG CLEARANCE
METABOLISM
PATHOLOGY
RATS
RESPIRATION
SENSITIVITY
TIME DEPENDENCE
TOXICITY
VOLUME
WEIGHT
ANIMALS
BODY
CADMIUM COMPOUNDS
CADMIUM HALIDES
CHEMISTRY
CHLORIDES
CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
CLEARANCE
COLLOIDS
DATA
DISPERSIONS
EXCRETION
HALIDES
HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
INFORMATION
MAMMALS
NUMERICAL DATA
ORGANS
PATHOLOGICAL CHANGES
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
RODENTS
SOLS
SYMPTOMS
VERTEBRATES
560305* - Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology- Vertebrates- (-1987)