Kaji T, Mishima A, Yamamoto C, Sakamoto M, Koizumi F
Department of Environmental Science, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hokuriku University, Kanazawa, Japan.
Toxicology. 1992;71(3):267-76. doi: 10.1016/0300-483x(92)90029-e.
We investigated the effect of cadmium on the maintenance of the monolayer of vascular endothelial cells to clarify a possible involvement of endothelium injury in cadmium-induced vascular disorders. Endothelial cells from bovine aorta were cultured with cadmium chloride (0.5, 1.0, 2.0 or 5.0 microM) for 24 or 72 h. A histological observation revealed that a de-endothelialized space was formed in the monolayer by cadmium treatment; the number of endothelial cells was significantly decreased by the metal. Cadmium significantly decreased the number of growing endothelial cells with a significant decrease in the [3H]thymidine incorporation, suggesting that cadmium inhibited the cell proliferation. On the other hand, cadmium significantly increased the detachment of [3H]thymidine-labeled endothelial cells from the monolayer with a parallel increase in the lactate dehydrogenase activity in the medium. From these results, it was suggested that cadmium impairs the endothelial cell monolayer; the de-endothelialized space was formed by both an increase in the cell detachment by cadmium cytotoxicity and a retardation of the repair of the space which was due to an inhibition of the cell proliferation caused by the metal.
