Gut retention of metals in rats

In sucklings, a high fraction of orally administered metals and radionuclides is retained in the gut. The location of elements in the gut is of interest because of their potential local health effect. The purpose of this work was to evaluate the influence of chelation therapy on gut retention and location of cadmium, mercury, and cerium in suckling rats. Radionuclides 115mCd, 203Hg, and 141Ce were administered orally to 6-d-old rats. Chelating agent Zn-DTPA (3.64 mmol/kg) was administered to animals that received 115mCd or 141Ce and Na-DMPS (375 mumols/kg) to those that received 203Hg, immediately and 24 h or 24 and 48 h after radionuclide administration. Radioactivity was determined in the whole body and gastrointestinal tract 6 d later. Both early and delayed chelation treatment very effectively reduced whole body retention, and this was mainly owing to reduced gut retention. Although chelation therapy reduced gut retention of administered radionuclides 3-30 times, the site of metal accumulation and retention in the intestine remained unchanged. For all 3 radionuclides, both after early and delayed therapy, the site of metal accumulation was always the lower part of small intestine-ileum.