Glycogen content of placenta and of fetal and maternal liver of cadmium-exposed rats. II: A quantitative histochemical study.

Quantitative data are presented of the glycogen contents in the placental labyrinth, fetal liver and maternal liver of 14-, 16-, 18-, 19- and 20-day pregnant rats exposed to cadmium during pregnancy. The values are obtained from periodic acid-Schiff-stained sections by microdensitometry. No changes due to cadmium exposure were observed in the glycogen content of maternal and fetal livers. However, at 18, 19 and 20 days of pregnancy, significantly higher amounts of glycogen were observed in the trophoblastic labyrinth of cadmium-exposed rats compared with control animals.