Intracellular cadmium mobilization sequelae

The consequences of the mobilization of aged intracellular cadmium from its in vivo deposits in mice by chelating agents were examined. The chelating agents used were BAL, sodium N-benzyl-D-glucamine dithiocarbamate (NaB), Diisopropyl meso-2,3-dimercaptosuccinate(Di-PDMS) and sodium N-(4-methoxybenzyl)-D-glucamine dithiocarbamate(4-Me0), all previously shown capable of causing statistically significant decreases in either renal or hepatic cadmium burdens in rodents. They were given at a level of 400 mumol/kg (i.p.) daily for 10 days to mice previously loaded with a total of 10 mg CdCl2.2.5 H2O/kg. Under these conditions a significant decrease in the renal cadmium level occurred following treatment with BAL, NaB, and 4-MeO; hepatic cadmium levels decreased significantly following treatment with NaB and 4-MeO. Pathological examination of the kidneys, liver, and testes in these animals showed that chelate mobilization of the cadmium produced no noticeable changes in the histopathology of these organs in comparison with that observed for the animals which had been given only cadmium and had undergone no chelate treatment. The results suggest that the mobilization of such aged cadmium from in vivo deposits need not result in any deleterious changes in the kidneys, liver or testes.