Specificity in Protection against Lethality and Testicular Toxicity from Cadmium ∗

Abstract

Summary

Cadmium, administered subcutaneously to adult CD-1 mice, causes acute destruction of the testis in doses (0.012 mmole/kg) which cause no apparent damage to other organs. This effect can be prevented by administration of sufficient selenium (0.024 mmole/kg), zinc (0.15 mmole/kg), cobalt (0.108 mmole/kg), BAL (0.75 mmole/kg), or cysteine (6 mmole/kg). Selenium (0.072 mmole/kg) also blocks the lethal effects of much larger doses of cadmium (0.076-0.133 mmole/kg but does not protect against mortality from mercury (0.09 mmole/kg), zinc (6 mmole/kg) or cobalt 1.5 mmole/kg). Not all agents which block cadmium-induced injury to the testis are effective in preventing mortality from cadmium. Whereas zinc and BAL (in the protective doses cited above) are good antagonists against lethal doses of cadmium, cobalt is not and cysteine markedly enhances the toxicity of cadmium. Considering the ratio of protective agent to cadmium which is needed, selenium, zinc, and BAL are relatively more efficient in protecting against lethality than in preventing testicular injury from cadmium. These studies illustrate that the organ most vulnerable to injury from cadmium, the testis, is the most resistant to protection.