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Journal of Medical Sciences

Year: 2001 | Volume: 1 | Issue: 4 | Page No.: 179-186
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Authors

Karima Z. Wershana

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Research Article

Cadmium Induced Toxicity on Pregnant Mice and Their Offspring: Protection by Magnesium or Vitamin E

Karima Z. Wershana
The research work was conducted to investigate the toxic effects of cadmium (Cd+2), administered during gestation period, on female albino mice and their offspring. A sublethal dose of Cd+2 (0.2mg Cd+2 kg‾1 b.wt, s.c.) was injected to pregnant mice on daily basis for 10 consecutive days as from the 3rd day of gestation and they were allowed to deliver normally. Cd+2 induced significant reduction in litter size, marked elevations in the numbers of dead newborns, externally malformed newborns per litter and increased the Cd+2 concentrations in their bodies. Cadmium injection also, caused growth retardation of the offspring at the day of birth as well as after two and four postnatal weeks. In addition, It increased their mortality percentages at the day of birth as well as during the first two postnatal weeks. It induced decreases in erythrocytic counts (RBCs), hemoglobin contents (Hb) and hematocrit values (packed cell volume, PCV) along with insignificant changes in mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH) and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) for female mice at the day of parturition as well as in their offspring after two and four postnatal weeks. It also evoked leucocytosis, granulocytosis and lymphopenia, while monocytes did not show significant alterations. The administration of Cd+2 induced hepatotoxicity as indicated by elevations in the activities of aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP). It, also, caused renal dysfunction as indicated by obvious rises in the concentrations of urea and creatinine in plasma. Also, this work aimed to investigate the assessment of the potential protective effect of either magnesium (Mg+2) (73mg Mg+2 kg‾1 b.wt) or vitamin E (100mg vit. E. kg‾1 b.wt.). The antidotes were injected as repeated s.c. daily doses starting from the 1st up to the 18th day of gestation. Magnesium administration prevented completely all defects that were induced by Cd+2 while vit. E supplementation exhibited only moderate improvement in these defects. This investigation demonstrates that Mg+2 is more potent then vit. E in protecting female mice and their offspring from Cd+2 induced defects. Mg+2 may be a promising protective agent against Cd+2 intoxication.
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