Cadmium transport and toxicity in isolated perfused renal proximal tubules

Thesis/Dissertation · Tue Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1991

OSTI ID:7206987

Robinson, M E.K.

Cadmium is a potent toxicant preferentially accumulated in the renal cortex of humans and other animals. To assess the renal toxicity of inorganic cadmium, isolated segments (S1, S2, and S3) of rabbit renal proximal tubules were perfused with various concentrations of unlabeled cadmium chloride (CdCl[sub 2]) and a vital dye (FD C green). The tubular epithelial cells were observed under the light microscope for cellular injury and necrosis. Cellular swelling, luminal membrane blebbing, and cellular vacuolization were indicators of cellular injury, and dye uptake was indicative of cellular necrosis. To determine lumen-to-bath transport rates for cadmium, the segments were perfused with a mixture of [sup 109]CdCl[sub 2] and [sup 3]H-L-glucose; unlabeled CdCl[sub 2] was added when necessary to vary the total cadmium concentration from 1.5 [mu]M to 2000 [mu]M. Immediately after perfusion the tubules were extracted with 3% trichoroacetic acid (TCA) or with a modified Ringer's buffer of reduced osmolality to determine the fate of the cadmium removed from the lumen. Based on the toxicant indicators, increased dye uptake, increased luminal membrane blebbing, and increased vacuole formation, as the cadmium concentration was increased, cadmium was found to show toxicity to renal tubular cells at concentrations greater than 500 [mu]M. In transport experiments, increasing the cadmium concentration causes an increase in the leak of L-glucose, also indicating toxicity. A clear imbalance exists between the rate of disappearance of cadmium from the lumen and the rate of appearance in the bath for all three tubular segments. Cadmium appears to bind cellular membrane proteins, but it is extractable with 3% TCA. Cadmium, like mercury, is taken up at the luminal membrane, but very little is transported through the basolateral membrane.

• Research Organization: Georgia State Univ., Atlanta, GA (United States)
• OSTI ID: 7206987
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

560300* -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
BODY
CADMIUM
ELEMENTS
KIDNEYS
METALS
NECROSIS
ORGANS
PATHOLOGICAL CHANGES
TUBULES