Toxicity of cadmium salts on indicators of embryogenesis of rats

Abstract

Cadmium is a toxic heavy metal which is considered a dangerous environmental pollutant and has a detrimental effect on the organs of the reproductive system, the period of implantation and the development of embryos. The experiment presented in this article established the effect of cadmium salts (chloride and citrate) on the general progress of embryogenesis. For this purpose, 60 rats were randomly divided into three groups: control, experimental group with cadmium chloride exposure and experimental group with cadmium citrate exposure. Cadmium chloride solvent, cadmium citrate solvent at a dose of 1.0 mg/kg and distilled intragastric water were injected from the first to the thirteenth (first subgroup) and from the first to the twentieth days of embryogenesis (second subgroup). When cadmium chloride was injected, total embryonic (by 4.24 and 3.67 times), pre-implantation (by 6.50 and 14.03 times) and post-implantation mortality (by 3.07 and 2.49 times) increased with a reduction of the number of surviving fetuses by 24.0% and 25.9% compared with the control group on the 13th and 20th days of embryogenesis respectively. At the same time, during exposure to cadmium citrate, indicators of total embryonic mortality increased by 4.02 and 3.52 times, pre-implantation mortality by 6.04 and 13.03 times, and post-implantation mortality by 3.09 and 2.26 times, and indicators of the number of live fetuses decreased by 18.3% and 22.2% in relation to the control group. When determining the accumulation of cadmium in embryos on the 20th day of gestation, polyelement analysis of biological materials using the atomic emission method with electric arc atomization revealed a 15.83-fold increase in cadmium chloride and 9.00 times in cadmium citrate relative to the control group. Embryolethality rates increased in animals of both experimental groups while the number of live fetuses per female decreased, which indicated an obvious embryotoxic effect of cadmium compounds. It is would be useful to conduct histological studies, which will help detect changes at the tissue level and possibly explain the level of embryonic mortality.

Dynamics of changes in cadmium levels in environmental objects and its impact on the bio-elemental composition of living organisms

“…At the same time, it was found that in the drinking water of the plain and foothill zone the level of cadmium exceeded the maximum permissible level. According to the literature (Bondareva et al, 2021;Kolosova et al, 2020;Mazur and Hutsol, 2022), the increase in cadmium levels may be due to the pollution of water bodies by industrial and domestic wastes with organic and mineral fertilizers, especially phosphate fertilizers.…”

“…In particular, they are part of salts, oxides and organometallic compounds, so this is what determines the danger of their release into the environment (Shevchuk et al, 2021). Phosphorus and complex fertilizers play a significant role in soil pollution (Bondareva et al, 2021;Kolosova et al, 2020). It is established that with excessive application of superphosphate to the soil, the content of cadmium in vegetable products increases by 4 times compared to the control (Ulianych et al, 2020).…”

Analysis of Changes in the Microelement Status of the Heart of Rats During Chronic Cadmium Intoxication

“…Even in low doses, cadmium has a toxic effect on the nervous system, immune system, reproductive system, and cardiovascular system [2,3]. Since cadmium is actively involved in physiological processes [4] and can cross the placental barrier, its accumulation leads to changes in the activity of various enzymes, shifts in the main morphological parameters, and significantly disrupts the balance of trace elements in the adult rat and embryos [5]. Cadmium can both increase the content of certain trace elements, causing their retention in tissues and organs and vice versa -cause significant losses of certain divalent cations, replacing them with itself.…”

“…Навіть у низьких дозах кадмій має токсичний вплив на нервову систему, імунну систему, репродуктивну систему та серцево-судинну систему [2,3]. Оскільки кадмій активно залучається у фізіологічні процеси [4] і здатний долати плацентарний бар'єр, його накопичення призводить до зміни активності різних ферментів, зсуву основних морфологічних показників, а також суттєво порушує баланс мікроелементів дорослого організму щура та ембріонів [5]. Кадмій здатний як підвищувати вміст певних мікроелементів, обумовлюючи їх затримання у тканинах і органах, так і навпаки -викликати значні втрати певних двовалентних катіонів, замінюючи їх собою.…”