Calcium deficiency enhances cadmium accumulation in the central nervous system

Weanling male rats were administered 1 of 4 diets for 40 days: control (CONT), low Ca (LOCA), control plus Cd (CONT + Cd) or low Ca plus Cd (LOCA + Cd). After 40 days, Cd was analyzed in 7 brain regions, spinal cord, serum, liver, kidney, muscle and femur by atomic absorption spectrophotometry with Zeeman background correction. No significant difference in Cd between CONT and LOCA was found except in femur, where it was increased. In CONT + Cd rats, peripheral tissues showed an increase in Cd of 30-71 fold above CONT rats. Brain regions exhibited a more modest 7-10 fold change, and serum Cd was 8.5 times above control. LOCA + Cd rats showed a 25-fold increase of Cd above LOCA in serum, 25-100 fold in peripheral tissues, and a 14-20 times in brain. These findings show that brain Cd is increased during Ca deficiency, but that central nervous system Cd changes less than peripheral tissue Cd. This increase in brain Cd could alter brain function.