Cadmium deposition in rat heart following cadmium chloride and/or ⁶⁰Co radiation

Abstract

Male Sprague‐Oawley rats were separated into nine groups and injected with cadmium (Cd) intraperitoneally every three days for 29 days for a total of nine injections. Injection doses ranged from 0 to 2.5 mg Cd/kg^‐1 of body weight. Twenty‐four hours following Cd injections, rats received an acute whole body ⁶⁰Co gamma radiation dose of 0, 3.62, or 5.43 Gray (Gy) at a dose rate of 3.04 Gy/min. Rats were sacrificed on day January 1994 7, or 21 post‐irradiation. Co‐insult groups which had been irradiated following Cd injections showed lower Cd concentrations in heart tissue than those groups which had been injected with Cd and sham‐irradiated. Our data indicate that radiation contributed to clearance of Cd from the heart. The present study points to a need for researchers to continue to study links between the environment and disease.

Key words:

• Cadmium
• Cardiovascular
• Heart
• Radiation