Effect of chronic cadmium treatment on rat adrenal catecholamines.

Daily intraperitoneal injection of cadmium chloride (1 mg/kg) for 45 days significantly increased adrenal weights and augmented the levels of adrenal norepinephrine and epinephrine as well as the activity of adrenal tyrosine hydroxylase. Discontinuation of the heavy metal treatment for 28 days, in rats previously injected with cadmium for 45 days, restored the activity of tyrosine hydroxylase as well as the amount of norepinephrine and epinephrine. In contrast, adrenal weights were restored only partially following the withdrawal of cadmium treatment. Evidence indicates that the changes in adrenal catecholamine metabolism may be the result of stress induced by chronic exposure to this heavy metal. In addition, some of the untoward effects such as hyperglycemia and arterial hypertension seen during cadmium toxicity might be related to increased synthesis of epinephrine in adrenal glands.