AJP - Heart and Circulatory Physiology, Vol 232, Issue 2 114-H121, Copyright © 1977 by American Physiological Society
Elevated systolic pressure following chronic low-level cadmiun feeding
H. M. Perry Jr, M. Erlanger and E. F. Perry
Groups of 16 female Long-Evans rats received 0, 1, 2.5, 5, 10, 25, and 50
mg cadmium/liter dringking water (parts per million (ppm)), from the time
they were weaned until they were 30 mo old. Systolic pressure was measured
indirectly in triplicate at 6-mo intervals. Both 2.5 and 5 ppm cadmium
consistently induced significant elevations in mean systolic pressure,
ranging from 13 to 33 mmHg. At 6 mo, 10 and 25 ppm cadmium also induced
significant elevations, whereas at 12 mo and subsequently 1 ppm cadmium
induced significant elevations. With 10 ppm cadmium or less weight gain was
normal and there was no evidence of cadmium toxicity. With 25 and 50 ppm
cadmium weight gain was diminished, suggesting toxicity. Five rats with
each level of exposure were sacrificed every 6 mo from a second population
of similarly handled rats in order to determine renal cadmium
concetrations. Cadmium intakes that had induced hypertension were
associated with mean renal cadmium concentrations ranging from 5 to 50
mug/g kidney.
