Korean J Occup Environ Med.  2004 Sep;16(3):236-249.

Effects of Cadmium on Placental Function and Reproduction in Rats

Affiliations
  • 1Institute of Industrial Medicine & Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Busan Paik Hospital, Inje University, Korea. iimmdh@inje.ac.kr
  • 2Health Care Office, DaeWoo Shipbuilding Marine Engineering, Korea.
  • 3Department of Preventive Medicine, College of Medicine, Inje University, Korea.

Abstract


OBJECTIVES
This study investigated the toxic effects of cadmium on placental function and reproduction in rats. For this study, the mRNA levels of the placental prolactin-growth hormone (PRL-GH) gene family, placental trophoblast cell frequemcy and reproductive data were analyzed.
METHODS
Pregnant F344 Fisher rats (200 g+/-23 g) were intraperitoneally injected with 0, 0.5, and 5.0 mg/kg B.W/day of cadmium (CdCl2) dissolved in saline from days 7-11 or 16-20 of pregnancy, and were sacrificed at days 11 or 20, respectively. The mRNA levels were analyzed by Northern blot hybridization and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. The hormone concentration was analyzed by radioimmunoassay and the frequemcy of the placental trophoblast cells was observed by histochemical study. Reproductive data were surveyed at day 20 of the pregnancy and after the births. Statistical analysis was carried out using the SAS program (version 8.1).
RESULTS
The mRNA levels of the PRL-GH gene family were reduced dose dependently by cadmium. The mRNA levels of Pit-1a and -b isotype genes were also reduced by cadmium. The hormone concentration of PL-Iv and -II was decreased by cadmium. During the second half of pregnancy (days 11-21), a high dose of cadmium exposure significantly reduced the frequency of spongiotrophoblast and trophoblast giant cells that secrete the PRL-GH hormones. In the last stage of pregnancy (day 20), a high dose of cadmium exposure induced the apoptosis of spon-giotrophoblast cells in the junctional zone of the placenta. Reproductive data such as placental and infant weight, number of live fetuses were decreased, and number of resorptions and dead fetuses, post-implantation loss were increased significantly in the cadmium exposed group compared with the control.
CONCLUSIONS
Cadmium disrupts the functions of the placenta and these effects leads to reproductive disorders in rats.

Keyword

Cadmium; Placenta; PRL-GH family gene; Pit-1; Reproduction

MeSH Terms

Animals
Apoptosis
Blotting, Northern
Cadmium*
Fetus
Giant Cells
Humans
Infant
Parturition
Placenta
Pregnancy
Radioimmunoassay
Rats*
Reproduction*
RNA, Messenger
Trophoblasts
Cadmium
RNA, Messenger
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