Morphologic effects of metallic copper and cadmium directly implanted into the rat kidney

The discovery of increasing amounts of copper and cadmium in public drinking water supplies has prompted an exploration of the effects of these elements upon the kidney. Markedly different responses are observed during the 6 months after the surgical implantation of copper and cadmium wires into kidneys of Sprague-Dawley rats. Those organs which contained copper showed only mild fibrosis near the site of injury and some pelvic distortion. The cadmium-containing kidneys revealed striking parenchymal destruction and pyraminal distortion. The coexistence of persistent foci of mononuclear cells in the cadmium kidneys and widespread parenchymal destruction is accepted as evidence for the actuality of a tissue hypersensitivity to this metallic element.