Renal and Skeletal Lesions in Experimental Cadmium Poisoning

Abstract

Male Wistar rats were separated into four groups and given four different dietary regimens. After 120 days, the rats were killed and examined histologically and biochemically. Remarkable abnormalities were observed in kidneys and femurs in cadmium treated rats. Renal hypertrophy and degenerative changes in tubules and glomeruli were evident. In femurs, thinning of cortical osseous tissue, decrease in osteocytes, decrease in acid mucopolysaccharides in epiphyseal cartilage, and appearance of osteoid plus fat deposition in bone marrow were significant in calcium-deficient cadmium- treated rats.