STRAIN DIFFERENCES IN SUSCEPTIBILITY OF MICE AND RATS TO CADMIUM-INDUCED TESTICULAR DAMAGE

Abstract

The observations of Pařízek & Zahor (1956) and Pařízek (1957a, b) on the selective destructive effect of cadmium on the testis of the rat and mouse have since been confirmed by Meek (1959), Kar & Das (1960), Gunn, Gould & Anderson (1961), Allanson & Deanesly (1962), Chiquoine (1964), Mason, Brown, Young & Nesbit (1964) and others. During studies on the induction of interstitial cell tumours of the testis by cadmium (Gunn, Gould & Anderson, 1963), we noted that cadmium failed to cause any degree of damage to the testis of the BALB/c mouse. A study was, therefore, undertaken to determine if this resistance to cadmium-induced testicular injury was unique to the BALB/c strain of mice and whether strain differences in testicular response to cadmium might also be observed in rats. A single subcutaneous (interscapular) injection of 0·03 m-mole/kg of CdCl2 was chosen for the preliminary testing since overwhelming testicular