Cadmium-induced sexual dysfunction does not involve increased hepatic metabolism of testosterone nor increased...

Sexually experienced male rats were injected IP with 0, 0.3, 1.5, 3.0, or 6.0 mg/kg cadmium chloride. The highest dose was fatal within 48 h of injection. A dose-related deficit in erectile function was observed in ex copula tests 48 h after injection. Copulatory dysfunction was evident in mating tests 72 h after injection. Hepatic mixed function oxidase activity after 0.3 mg/kg injections was not different from controls, but was diminished by 50% in rats treated with 3.0 mg/kg. The higher cadmium doses (1.5 and 3.0 mg/kg) were associated with equivalent and marked reductions in circulating testosterone levels, and lesser decrements in circulating corticosterone levels. The rats treated with 1.5 or 3.0 mg/kg cadmium chloride lost weight (32 +/- 12 and 39 +/- 9 g, respectively). Relative decapsulated adrenal gland weights were markedly increased in rats treated with 3.0 mg/kg. These data indicate that exposure to cadmium is associated with alterations in sexual, hepatic, and adrenal function, with erectile dysfunction occurring at the lowest dose. The effects on copulatory behavior are especially striking because it requires some weeks for copulatory behavior to wane following castration.