High-performance liquid chromatography-inductively coupled plasma profiles of cadmium, zinc, sulphur, and other elements in rat liver supernatants after cadmium injection.

The distribution of cadmium, zinc, sulphur and other elements in the liver supernatants of rats and their variation with time following a single intraperitoneal injection of cadmium chloride were characterized by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled with an inductively coupled plasma. Cadmium that was bound to high-molecular-weight-proteins before the induction of metallothionein was analysed more easily using an Asahipak GS-520 column, whereas the distributions of other elements and of cadmium bound to metallothionein were better characterized on a TSK G3000SW column. Cadmium bound primarily to a distinct high-molecular-weight protein before the induction of metallothionein. After the injection its distribution shifted with time to metallothionein. An atomic emission spectrometer, employing an inductively coupled argon plasma and a vacuum UV monochromator was effectively used as a multi-element specific detector for HPLC.