Chisolm J C, Handorf C R
Med Hypotheses. 1985 Jul;17(3):231-42. doi: 10.1016/0306-9877(85)90128-8.
Cadmium, a toxic heavy metal, has been incriminated in the etiology of essential hypertension. Zinc, an essential micronutrient necessary for growth, competes with cadmium for binding sites in biochemical processes; zinc deficiency states (i.e. pregnancy and low protein diet) might expose an individual to increased risk of cadmium toxicity. The increased sensitivity to cadmium during pregnancy could also be related to the effect of progesterone on zinc and cadmium metabolism through the actions of metallothionein (MT). MT is a low molecular weight protein believed to function in cadmium detoxification. Several studies in lab animals have documented a late gestation drop of maternal MT levels. This was thought to be due to rising progesterone levels. If there is also a late gestation drop in human maternal MT, then the propensity toward maternal cadmium toxicity would be enhanced. Therefore, we propose that when a zinc deficient woman becomes pregnant and is exposed to both the nutritional demands of the fetus and to the influence of progesterone, she will be likely to develop the manifestations of cadmium toxicity (i.e. hypertension, proteinuria, edema, etc.).
镉是一种有毒重金属，被认为与原发性高血压的病因有关。锌是生长必需的微量营养素，在生化过程中与镉竞争结合位点；锌缺乏状态（如怀孕和低蛋白饮食）可能会使个体面临镉中毒风险增加。孕期对镉敏感性增加也可能与孕酮通过金属硫蛋白（MT）的作用对锌和镉代谢的影响有关。MT是一种低分子量蛋白质，被认为具有镉解毒功能。多项针对实验动物的研究记录了孕期晚期母体MT水平下降。这被认为是由于孕酮水平升高所致。如果人类母体MT在孕期晚期也下降，那么母体镉中毒的倾向将会增强。因此，我们提出，当一名缺锌女性怀孕，同时面临胎儿的营养需求和孕酮的影响时，她很可能会出现镉中毒的表现（如高血压、蛋白尿、水肿等）。
