Heavy Metals (Cadmium and Arsenic) Bioaccumulation and Their Impact on Antioxidant Status in Liver and Kidney of Male Albino Rats

Abstract

Cadmium and arsenic are the most common environmental toxicants that pose adverse impact on human health upon their entry. Cadmium and arsenic are not metabolized or excreted easily and hence gets bioaccumulated in different organs leading to an escalation in their concentration promoting suppression of antioxidants status and causes organ damage. The present study was designed to evaluate the toxicity of cadmium and arsenic both individually and in combination in the liver and kidney of male albino rats. Wistar strain male albino rats were treated with cadmium as cadmium chloride (CdCl2) at a dose of 22.5 mg/kg body weight (1/10th LD50 / 96 h) and arsenic as sodium arsenate (Na3AsO4) at a dose of 42 mg/kg body weight (1/10th LD50 / 96 h) for a time interval of 30 days. The rats were sacrificed after a specific time interval, Cd bioaccumulation and oxidative stress enzymes were calculated in liver and kidney. The present study results suggest that Cd was more toxic to kidney and As was more toxic to liver, but combined treatment might have showed antagonistic effects to each other. It suggests that combined administration might promote MT protein synthesis that helps in the production of antioxidants and depletes toxicity levels.