Exploration of the optimal strategy for dietary calcium intervention against the toxicity of liver and kidney induced by cadmium in mice: An in vivo diet intervention study

Abstract

Cadmium (Cd) is a toxic non-essential element, while calcium (Ca) is an essential element with high chemical similarity to Cd. Dietary intake is the major Cd exposure pathway for non-smokers. A multi-concentration dietary intervention experiment was designed to explore the optimum concentration of Ca in diet with obvious protective effects against the toxicity of livers and kidneys induced by Cd in mice. The mice were divided into six groups with different concentrations of Cd and Ca in their food: control-group (no Cd or Ca), Ca-group (100 g/kg Ca, without Cd), Cd-group (2 mg/kg Cd, without Ca), CaL+Cd-group (2 mg/kg Cd, 2 g/kg Ca), CaM+Cd-group (2 mg/kg Cd, 20 g/kg Ca) and CaH+Cd-group (2 mg/kg Cd, 100 g/kg Ca). The organ indexes, oxidative stress biomarkers, lesions and Cd concentrations were detected after a 30-day exposure period. Results showed that serum Aspartate Aminotransferase (AST) level in CaH+Cd-group was significantly lower than that in Cd-group, while close to that in control-group. The contents of Serum Blood Urea Nitrogen (BUN) in different groups showed the same trend. Concentrations of all oxidative stress biomarkers (GSH-Px, SOD, CAT, GSH and MDA) in CaH+Cd-group were close to the normal levels of control-group while significantly different from those in Cd-group. The only exception was the Malondialdehyde (MDA) levels in kidneys. This study suggests that Ca plays a protective role in relieving the Cd-induced toxicity of livers and kidneys and a concentration of 100 g/kg for Ca in diet showed the best protective effects. These findings could provide a clue for further studies concerning human diet intervention for Cd control.

Activation of lipophagy ameliorates cadmium-induced neural tube defects via reducing low density lipoprotein cholesterol levels in mouse placentas

“…Cadmium (Cd), a highly toxic environmental pollutant, is classified as a human carcinogen (Hong et al 2021 ). Several epidemiologic studies have linked Cd contents to NTD risks (Chen et al 2021b ; Cherukad et al 2012 ). During prenatal Cd exposure, CD-1 mice develop ectrodactyly in the forelimbs and tail deformities (Zhang et al 2016 ).…”

Golden mussel shell (<i>Limnoperna fortunei</i>) flour contaminated with cadmium as a calcium source for broiler chickens

“…According to ATSDR (2007), the estimated absorption rate of Cd by oral exposure for humans may vary from 1.1-10.6%. Therefore, a tolerable monthly Cd intake of 25 μg kg -¹ body weight (Chen et al, 2021) may occur in some industrial areas where inhabitants may be vulnerable to Cd exposure through foods. In this context, with advances in Brazilian poultry farming, concern about the biosafety of ingredients used in the diets of farm animals has increased in recent years (Bayerle et al, 2017).…”

“…However, it is not possible to completely eliminate the damage in the liver and kidney and the injuries caused by this exposure (Akter et al, 2019;Gutyj et al, 2019;Ali et al, 2021;Kar & Patra, 2021). This occurs even on a small scale, as this contaminant is highly absorbed by animals and can cause economic losses (Chen et al, 2021).…”

Protective Effects of Nigella Sativa and Propolis against Cadmium or Lead Induced Nephrotoxicity: An Experimental Histological and Biochemical Study

“…The lead/CdCl2 induced nephrotoxicity has been reported by previous studies. It manifested as renal dysfunction, increased oxidative stress, and histopathological changes [23,24] . MDA is the principle byproduct of lipid peroxidation.…”