Effects of chronic cadmium administration on placental and fetal development

Cadmium was administered subcutaneously to pregnant Wistar rats: 0.49 mg/kg as CdCl2 in saline daily, starting at the day of conception. Placentas and fetal livers were collected on day 14, 16, 18, 19 and 20 of gestation. Livers and thymuses from the newborns were collected 5 hours after delivery (day 22) and 1, 2 and 5 weeks after delivery. In these tissues concentrations of cadmium and zinc were determined by solid sampling ETA-AAS. Furthermore, the effect of cadmium administration on the glycogen content of the trophoblastic labyrinth and the fetal liver was studied. The concentration of cadmium in the placenta increased with time of exposure, indicating accumulation of cadmium in this organ. In the fetal liver, cadmium was present in a very low concentration, which slightly increased with longer exposure. The concentration of zinc in the placenta tends to decrease between day 14 and day 20. This decrease was observed both in control and in cadmium-exposed animals. Zinc levels increased in fetal livers from control dams, whereas this rise was markedly reduced in fetuses from cadmium-exposed animals. Placentas from cadmium-exposed animals had a changed glycogen pattern as compared to the controls, namely higher glycogen contents of the labyrinth at the end of pregnancy. However, notwithstanding lower zinc levels in the fetus and changed glycogen deposition in the placenta, it is not quite clear whether cadmium affects fetal development. No changes were observed in fetal weights or birthweights, nor in glycogen deposition of the fetal liver. Indications were obtained for reduced neonatal thymic weights.