![Sample our Bioscience journals, sign in here to start your access, Latest two full volumes FREE to you for 14 days]({"type":"image" , "src" : "/sda/5925/TOC-Subject-Sample-2021-Bioscience.jpg"})
Abstract
Skin allograft rejection and isograft acceptance was studied in Balb/c mice exposed to 0, 0.01, 0.1, 1.0, or 10.0 ppm cadmium in drinking water beginning 4 wk prior to grafting. Cadmium exposure was associated with a dose‐dependent acceleration of the rejection of allografts prepared from the tail skin of C57/BL mice. The mean time to allograft rejection decreased from 10.4 d in non‐metal‐exposed recipients to 7.4 d in mice exposed to 10 ppm cadmium. Cadmium exposure was also associated with a dose‐dependent increase in the time to isograft acceptance (8.6 d in control mice compared to 11.0 d in mice exposed to 10 ppm cadmium). In addition, some isografts were rejected by animals exposed to 1 or 10 ppm cadmium. It is suggested that a cadmium‐induced modification of the wound‐healing process could explain both the allograft and isograft response, although an effect of cadmium on the immune response to histoincompatible tissue may also play a role in the accelerated allograft rejection.